From the Depths

Walking along the Greenway after a heavy rain, one may be turned back at the snail crossing by an inch or so of water flowing over the trail. If it isn't too deep, or

if you have footwear that isn't easily waterlogged, it can be a small treat to wade in and examine some of the aquatic denizens that are normally hidden from view beneath watery surfaces. 

Easiest to see, and fairly common, are the small aquatic snails with their smooth, rounded shells sometimes humped above the surface, water rippling as it passes around them. Occasionally one will lose its footing (so to speak) and tumble away with the current. The tiny lives are subtle and easy to overlook; careless pedestrians may not notice anything beyond the slight crunch as they pass.

Assorted creepy-crawlies lurk below the surface, invertebrates that are hard to capture in photos (particularly with my reluctance to physically disturb them to get a better shot!): flatwormy creatures and I'm pretty sure a leech or two. 

One exciting day revealed a crayfish scuttling along the trail. I wondered which side of the trail it came from, where it normally spends its time, where it retreats as the water recedes? 

And there--is that an aquatic isopod? Relative of those endearing terrestrial roly-polies found in cool, damp places under rocks and flowerpots. Isopods are crustaceans, like crayfish, and both aquatic and terrestrial versions breathe through gills.

So the next time the trail seems to be impassable due to a miniature flood event, take the opportunity to visit with those creatures of the depths (relatively speaking) who don't often make an appearance on the Greenway.