On Sunday I took a hike on the Laurel Bluff Trail. Coming from the east this trail follows the Reedy Creek Fork of Lake Townsend eventually to it's headwaters on the western end of the trail near Lake Brandt Road. Although lake Brandt water levels have been kept up, Lake Townsend has been drying up. The top picture is taken from out in the middle of the lake a few feet from Reedy Fork. It was amazing to stand out there - it seemed like such an expanse. The former lake bottom was covered in the area with grasses that were moist and marsh like - quite beautiful really.
The second picture was taken a little further west, maybe 3/4 of a mile or so further "up creek" than the picture at top. It was taken in that area where all the tree cutting has been done presumably for the safety of the small planes coming and going from the Air Harbor Airstrip. Here the "headwaters" looks like a scene from out west. You just about expect to see a group of cowboys riding out of the brush. The red-brown parched hues were really quite beautiful.
If the above pictures are "before," I hope to get back in there today or tomorrow to take a picture "after" this rainfall (or during). Since Lake Brandt is close to full (I don't know about Higgins) I suspect Townsend will rise a couple of feet anyway.
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