We have all experienced during the long duration rains in the last few months, that stormwater and eventually groundwater has to go somewhere.

During our December monitoring of the Carpenter Creek freshwater watershed and its connected marine estuary system we experienced some very high water events — so high it made it impossible for us to do our sampling at many sites.

When the rains come for extended periods it graphically reminds us of the important services our natural waterways provide for us every day. Their channels, sediments and plants absorb and then slowly release with time all the water that falls from the sky. They also manage all the groundwater. As the natural water table rise in our streams or in our yards or open spaces, the water follows the contours of the land to areas that can absorb it, or it creates standing water that can take some time to recede. Sometimes groundwater does not show itself but rather runs along geologic features inches or many feet below the surface of the ground along impervious layers of clays and can cause small landslides or slumping on the bluffs we thought looked so sturdy.

While we see our streams flow fuller now and then, actually the land areas immediately adjacent to the banks of rivers and streams are subject to recurring inundation when we have heavy rains for long periods. These areas are called Floodplains or floodways. There are federal maps created by the Federal Emergency Management Agency which designate floodplains and floodways and if you live in or near one of these areas you may need to have special insurance because your chances of experiencing flooding are great. It’s only a matter of time.

When heavy rains cause high waters in a stream it can cause sediment movement on a grand scale. During the rains of the second weekend in December we saw high tides as well. At our marine monitoring site at Arness Park, several of the large trees and root wads that are along the shore, normally stationary, well embedded in the sand, were bobbing up and down. It is truly awesome the power of water to move objects. We can also observe very high turbidity readings in our local waters when rain events occur. Fast moving water picks up a lot of sediment and moves it long distances. If the storm flow is great enough it can carve out a new stream channel.

At several of our freshwater sites we have seen the shape and location of the creek bed change over time. It is high flows like those in December that can move streams.

These events are important reminders that while we feel like we are in control of the landscape, we are not ultimately in control. The forces of flowing water and wind are the true shapers of our landscape. We rely on our streams to manage our surface waters flows and our rainwater.

We have to be mindful that our manipulation of the land we live upon is only as permanent as the natural forces around us allow it to be. So if you have a wet spot in your yard, don’t presume it can be filled in and hardened.

When the big rains come they have to go somewhere.

Betsy Cooper is a board member and stream monitor at Stillwaters Environmental Education Center.