The Last Quaking Bog of Mississippi

Over in Stone County there is a pitched battle going on to preserve the last surviving Quaking Bog in Mississippi.

A developer has decided that the land just above the bog would be an ideal location for a dirt track. The vegetative cover that allowed the essential hillside seepage for the bog is already gone. Bulldozers are creating silt runoff that will wash into the bogs and fill them. Once the race engines and the cars of the onlookers populate the area, the runoff will be oil-laden, guaranteed to finish the job on Sweetbay.

What exactly is the Sweetbay Bog? The Sweetbay Bog was the first land purchase made by the Mississippi branch of the Nature Conservancy.

What is a Quaking Bog? The Woods Hole Research Center defines a quaking bog as -

Wetlands that have formed across the surface of shallow ponds. These ponds are characterized by slow groundwater flow, which causes the pond water to be acidic and low in dissolved oxygen (DO). The roots and rhizomes of invading wetland plants form floating mats across the pond, which creates an unstable, "quaking" surface. Over time, leaves, stems and other organic matter may accumulate below the mat and stabilize it. Nutrients are slowly released into the bog by bacterial decomposition at the surface.

Depending on the availability of nutrients, degree of soil saturation, water pH and DO level in a given bog, the site may evolve into a marsh or swamp. Quaking bogs support rare bog plants, such as dragon's mouth orchid (Arethusa bulbosa), and few fruited sedge (Carex oligosperma).

The Sweetbay Bog is a rare natural land formation and is extremely sensitive:

Long considered by biologists as one of the most critical natural communities in the state, Sweetbay is a classic example of a hillside seepage bog. Rarely found this far south, bogs are integral parts of the vanishing longleaf pine ecosystem that once covered the coastal plains.

With the hillside cover already gone and the real potential for the total destruction of the Sweetbay Bogs a very real possibility it is even more important that we the citizens of Mississippi stand up, once again, to the mindset that prevails in this state that destruction of our beloved natural habitat is okay as long as a few jobs are added, no matter how menial. This kind of wanton destruction is fostered by the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ). I have said it before and I'll say it again the MDEQ has never met a polluter or destroyer of our environment for profit that they didn't love. This kind of mindset by an agency that is supposed to be the leader in protecting our environment just emboldens developers like this clown that has decided to build a dirt race track in an area of Stone county that is environmentally sensitive.

There is a hearing in Wiggins on May 15th to consider a storm water permit for the construction of the dirt race track. If you are at all concerned about the continued loss of our precious environemnt please join us in Wiggins at 7:00 on the 15th.