Fall Sedge Report

Summer at Sedge was very dry and warm so all the program participants loved the nice weather. Fall was wet and cold so all the program participants had deal with more challenging weather conditions. (see blog notes from Fall groups).

The end of the season at Sedge is always marked by Tony talking about how it is getting too cold to wear shorts. He and Jackie left the island in late October. In his last weeks at Sedge, Tony enlisted the aid of several of his friends to help paint the entire floor including the front porch. This task was made even more difficult as two separate northeasters (one lasting 8 days) flooded the island. (Water covered the docks, bulkhead and all the ground but never reached the floor of the house.)

On Halloween I paddled out to check on things. The air temperature was 70 F and with little wind I was comfortable paddling in a T-shirt. The water temperature however had dropped to a chilly 51 F. The house looked fine (I was careful not to hurt the paint by walking on the floor.) The outside was a different story as the high water had floated any thing not tied down to different parts of the island. This includes the “Balance of Nature” which weighs over 200 lbs and has not moved since 2001 when it was built.

Although the water was murky I did paddle around the shellfish lease to check on the clams. The 5 bags of clams that we planted in June were moved slightly but appeared to be fine. The 24 additional bags that we are over wintering for the Barnegat Bay Shellfish Restoration program also look fine. The milk crate containing oysters (now 3 years old) is still hanging from the dock and will hopefully make it through another winter.

I will be paddling to Sedge at irregular days throughout the Fall and Winter months. If it is a warm day with no wind this can be quite a pleasant experience even though the air and water can be quite cold. If you are interested in joining me on the spur of the moment, give me a call (609) 658-7965 and maybe we can paddle out together. Jim