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RM: This boardwalk has an interesting little observation tower on the end, so we'll just
walk on out. And, again, we'll get a chance to walk over a little bit of water!
JW: Legend has it that both, uh, Davy Crockett and Jim Bowie hunted in these parts - it's
a great area!
RM: Well, it is an interesting place, and, again, as we saw today, shallow, standing
water makes all the difference in the world. And some strange things in this place . . .
JW: I guess Duckweed, of course, everywhere.
RM: . . . Duckweed all over the top. That's one of the smallest flowering plants, uh,
in the world.
JW: But what are these, Rudy, right-right beside me? Big roots, they look like .
RM: Well, they are underground stems - they are rhizomes of a plant that you see the leaf
sticking up from, uh, out there. Usually these things are down on the bottom. Maybe the boats
have, uh, pulled them up. Spadderdock - common name for it. See the leaves? Big green leaves
coming up out of the water on their, uh, stems.
JW: A-almost like a pond lily, then.
RM: Yeah, pond lily is another common name for it. Yellow flowers when you see it flowering.
The other thing strange here, too, is see the-see the way there's new growth on those
rotting logs, see the logs on the side there . . . (JW: Oh yeah.) . . . they're floating
along with all that new growth coming out on them. In a sense, they are little islands
of enough soil to support quite a few interesting plants. Uh, Water Loosestrife is one of them
down there with the whorl of leaves on it that's typical of areas just like this. Look
right down here, look at the turtle . . . (JW: Oh, my goodness!) . . . right there, yeah,
the little, uh, uh, Cooter, it looks like, a young one, and right at the top, uh, of
the water there, barely see it! (JW: Maybe a few weeks old?) Oh, well, yeah, it hasn't
been out of the, uh, egg very long - diving right down. See the way it uses its back legs,
pushes it right on down underneath the Duckweed. Perfect place for it to live. But this is
a good place, now, to get a view of this lake, and to see, of course, that it's shallow,
relatively shallow. Cypresses here, and then open water in two or three directions.
JW: A stiff breeze coming up, Rudy, on this boardwalk!
RM: It's a little more windy here, maybe we can work our way to the top, though, for one
last view of this place.
JW: Used to be 40,000 acres of water on the entire lake, and now it's cut back to about
14,000 because of, I guess, silt and drainage . . .
RM: Well, and man has made a difference, too. But this is really a wonderful view!
JW: Kind-of up in the air over Reelfoot Lake, Rudy, on this platform. A bit windy, but a
beautiful spot to end the visit here!
RM: Well this has been a-a very special place - I-I was expecting it to be when we came.
Lakes this size are usually man-made, where man has dammed it up and changed the flow
of water. But this one was, of course, nature-made. And being caused by the New Madrid Earthquakes,
well, that makes it even extra-special! And then shallow, standing water - we knew this
when we came! Should give us a great variety of plant and animal life, perfect day!
JW: It's a great place for plants and animals, and a great place to visit! Thanks for coming
with us to Reelfoot Lake in the Northwest corner of Tennessee near Tiptonville. And
join us again, on the next NatureScene!