Quicksand Pond

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Quicksand Pond
Quicksand Pond.jpg
The pond in 2009
USA Rhode Island relief location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Quicksand Pond
Usa edcp relief location map.png
Red pog.svg
Quicksand Pond
Location Little Compton, Rhode Island
Coordinates 41°30′23″N71°07′48″W / 41.506493°N 71.130044°W / 41.506493; -71.130044 Coordinates: 41°30′23″N71°07′48″W / 41.506493°N 71.130044°W / 41.506493; -71.130044
Lake type Pond
Primary inflows Simmons Pond, Cold Brook
Primary outflows ephemeral outlet to the Rhode Island Sound
Basin  countriesUnited States
Max. length1.5 miles (2.4 km) [1]
Max. width0.75 miles (1.21 km)
Surface area 158 hectares (390 acres) [2]
Shore length17 kilometres (4.3 mi)
Surface elevation0 m (0 ft)
Frozenin winter
Islands 1
1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure.

Quicksand Pond is a pond in Little Compton, Rhode Island.

Contents

It is a major winter flounder spawning area, has Rare Species Habitat and Significant Natural Communities designation, [3] and is part of a proposed natural greenway corridor. [4] Quicksand Pond is also entirely surrounded by critical habitats, and there are a number of protected areas adjacent to Quicksand Pond. [5] It is part of the Southeastern Coastal Watershed Basin. [6]

It is part of one of the most scenic and undisturbed coastal areas in Rhode Island, [7] and its protection is of high priority. [8] Approximately half of the shorelines on Quicksand Pond are undeveloped, the remainder are developed as private residences. [7]

Birding

Piping plover and least tern nesting area sign at Quicksand Pond Plover Tern Sign.JPG
Piping plover and least tern nesting area sign at Quicksand Pond

Large, often exposed, mudflats are responsible for the large number of shorebirds that gather on Quicksand Pond during the spring and fall migrations. [9] When the breachway that usually separates Quicksand Pond from Rhode Island Sound has recently opened, large tracts of fresh wet mud will attract most of the shorebird species in Rhode Island. [10] Quicksand Pond was named number one of the Top Five Must-See Migrations for Rhode Island. [11]

There are a number of birds that spend time at Quicksand Pond. On September 2, 1882, a Symphemia semipalmata was seen on Quicksand Pond. [12] There are swans in Quicksand Pond. [13] The Quicksand Pond area provides an excellent breeding habitat for the least tern, [9] a rare shorebird, which arrives in May. Other shorebirds, including sanderlings, great and snowy egrets, dunlin, greater and lesser yellowlegs rest on the mudflats and the shoreline. [11] A black rail is a rare sight at Quicksand Pond. [7] [14]

The barrier beach habitat of Quicksand Pond is a potential suitable nesting site for the American oystercatcher. [7] saltmarsh sharp-tailed sparrows have also been seen. [15] Waterfowl residents and migrants include Canada geese, canvasbacks, American black ducks and scaups. Quicksand Pond has been called one of the most significant migratory waterfowl concentration sites of New England. [8] There are also historical records of sea-beach pigweed and sandplain gerardia. [8]

Piping plover

Piping plover Piping plover.jpg
Piping plover

The piping plover, Rhode Island’s rarest shorebird, comes to Quicksand Pond each April. The plovers arrive from the Gulf Coast and Bahamas. [11]

Quicksand Pond is one of only five known breeding sites in Rhode Island for the piping plover. [9] It contains one of the largest population of this species in Rhode Island, and has fledged an average of 11.3 young per year over the last 6 years. [7] [8]

Goosewing Beach

Goosewing Beach is a 1.4 kilometres (0.87 mi) long cobbly barrier beach [2] at the southern end of Quicksand Pond. [9] Its dunes are dominated by beachgrass and seaside goldenrod. [8]

Goosewing Beach from a drone, with Quicksand Pond on the right and Tunipus Pond in the background Goosewing Beach and Quicksand Pond.jpeg
Goosewing Beach from a drone, with Quicksand Pond on the right and Tunipus Pond in the background

The Goosewing Beach Preserve, a 75 acres (300,000 m2) preserve consisting of shore, ponds and dunes created 12,000 years ago by retreating glaciers, is considered one of Rhode Island's most scenic places. [16] It is overseen by The Nature Conservancy.

Working with the Little Compton Agricultural Conservancy Trust and the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, the Goosewing Beach Preserve was purchased in 1989 by The Nature Conservancy and its partners. Conservancy staff have actively managed breeding populations of piping plover and least tern since then. [9]

Goosewing Beach Preserve was listed as one world's best eco-friendly beaches by CNN, [17] as a “Don’t Miss" by the Boston Globe , [18] and as one of the 500 places to see before they disappear by Frommer's. [19]

The Benjamin Family Environmental Center

The Benjamin Family Environmental Center at the Goosewing Beach Preserve Benjamin Family Environmental Center.JPG
The Benjamin Family Environmental Center at the Goosewing Beach Preserve

The Nature Conservancy of Rhode Island opened The Benjamin Family Environmental Center on July 11, 2010. [20] The Benjamin Family Environmental Center has programs and exhibits about the many types of habitats that make up the Quicksand Pond and Goosewing Beach Preserve areas. [21]

The Nature Conservancy hires a Plover Warden and a Goosewing Beach Preserve Manager during nesting season (mid-April to early-September) to monitor and protect the species and to help educate beach-goers about the sensitive wildlife that inhabit the area. [9]

A study at Goosewing beached provided evidence that mudflats are preferred brood-rearing habitat for piping plovers. [2]

The Gut

On the east side of the pond, there is a section called "The Gut". [22]

Fishing

Fish species include winter flounder, perch, American eel, soft-shelled clam, hard-shelled clam or quahog, and American oyster. [8] Herring have been caught in Quicksand Pond. [23]

Shellfishing

Drawing of oyster anatomy Oyster anatomy.jpg
Drawing of oyster anatomy

In June 1853, the General Assembly of the state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, amended the "An Act for the preservation of Oysters and other Shell Fish within this State" as follows:

Quicksand Pond, in the town of Little Compton, shall be deemed and taken to be a free and common Oyster fishery in the waters of this State, and as such shall be subject to all the provisions of the act hereby amended.

[24]

In 1965, "[l]ittle change was noted in the supply of wild oysters from" Quicksand Pond. [25] In 1968, the Shellfish survey of Quicksand Pond, Little Compton, R.I. was published. [26]

Norovirus scare

Transmission electron micrograph of Norovirus particles in faeces Norovirus 4.jpg
Transmission electron micrograph of Norovirus particles in faeces

On May 17, 2007, the FDA reported signs of norovirus in oysters distributed by Bridgeport Seafood in Tiverton, Rhode Island. The Rhode Island Department of Health investigation determined the oysters were collected by a single fisherman from Quicksand Pond. [27] As the Health Department continued to investigate the Quicksand Pond case, it found no evidence to support the initial FDA alarm. There were no reports of anyone getting sick, and further testing failed to show any significant signs of bacteria from human waste in the pond. [27] 50 bushels of oysters were embargoed and destroyed. [27] Quicksand Pond is currently listed as Un-assessed – Shellfishing Prohibited. [28]

Artistic inspiration

Quicksand Pond has inspired at least two pieces of music: one is "Quicksand Pond" by Noreen Inglesi. [29]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Little Compton, Rhode Island</span> Town in Rhode Island, United States

Little Compton is a coastal town in Newport County, Rhode Island, bounded on the south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by the Sakonnet River, on the north by the town of Tiverton, and on the east by the town of Westport, Massachusetts. The population was 3,616 at the 2020 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Piping plover</span> Species of bird

The piping plover is a small sand-colored, sparrow-sized shorebird that nests and feeds along coastal sand and gravel beaches in North America. The adult has yellow-orange-red legs, a black band across the forehead from eye to eye, and a black stripe running along the breast line. This chest band is usually thicker in males during the breeding season, and it is the only reliable way to tell the sexes apart. The bird is difficult to see when it is standing still, as it blends well with open, sandy beach habitats. It typically runs in short, quick spurts and then stops.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ell Pond (Rhode Island)</span> Pond in Rhode Island, USA

Ell Pond is a kettle hole in Hopkinton, Washington County, Rhode Island. It is surrounded by a swamp of red maple and Atlantic white cypress, and by steep granitic monadnocks. The small area contains communities of both hydrophytic and xeric plants, which makes it ideal for ecological research and education. It was designated a National Natural Landmark in May 1974. In 1972, The Nature Conservancy purchased 50 acres (20 ha) including the pond to extend 218 acres (88 ha) of protected land owned by the Audubon Society of Rhode Island and the 1,002 acres (405 ha) of Rockville Wildlife Management Area owned by the state. The preserve is jointly managed by all three entities. There are hiking trails in the preserve, but Ell pond is specifically not reachable due to its fragile environment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">American oystercatcher</span> Species of bird

The American oystercatcher, occasionally called the American pied oystercatcher, is a member of family Haematopodidae. Originally called the "sea pie", it was renamed in 1731 when naturalist Mark Catesby observed the bird eating oysters. The current population of American oystercatchers is estimated to be 43,000. There are estimated to be 1,500 breeding pairs along the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts of the US. The bird is marked by its black and white body and a long, thick orange beak.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cape May National Wildlife Refuge</span> Wildlife habitat in New Jersey, USA

The Cape May National Wildlife Refuge is a protected area on the Cape May Peninsula in Cape May County, New Jersey. It is part of the National Wildlife Refuge System and managed by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. Established in January 1989 with 90 acres (0.36 km2) acquired from the Nature Conservancy, it has since grown to more than 11,000 acres (45 km2) in size, and plans call for its further expansion to more than 21,200 acres (86 km2). It comprises three distinct and non-contiguous units: the Delaware Bay Division, the Great Cedar Swamp Division and the Two Mile Beach Unit. Located in the Middle Atlantic coastal forests ecoregion, the cape provides habitat for large numbers of migratory birds.

The Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge is a 950-acre (384.5 ha) National Wildlife Refuge in ten units across the U.S. state of Connecticut. Located in the Atlantic Flyway, the refuge spans 70 miles (110 km) of Connecticut coastline and provides important resting, feeding, and nesting habitat for many species of wading birds, shorebirds, songbirds and terns, including the endangered roseate tern. Adjacent waters serve as wintering habitat for brant, scoters, American black duck, and other waterfowl. Overall, the refuge encompasses over 900 acres (364.2 ha) of barrier beach, intertidal wetland and fragile island habitats.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seal Beach National Wildlife Refuge</span> Wildlife refuge in California

The Seal Beach National Wildlife Refuge is a wildlife refuge encompassing 965 acres (3.91 km2) located in the California coastal community of Seal Beach. Although it is located in Orange County it is included as part of the San Diego National Wildlife Refuge Complex. It was established in 1972.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge</span>

The Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge is a 9,125-acre (37 km2) National Wildlife Refuge made up of several parcels of land along 50 miles (80 km) of Maine's southern coast. Created in 1966, it is named for environmentalist and author Rachel Carson, whose book Silent Spring raised public awareness of the effects of DDT on migratory songbirds, and of other environmental issues.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bandon Marsh National Wildlife Refuge</span>

Bandon Marsh National Wildlife Refuge is a U.S. National Wildlife Refuge on Oregon's coast. It is one of six National Wildlife Refuges comprising the Oregon Coast National Wildlife Refuge Complex and is renowned among bird watchers for being able to view rare shorebirds including ruff, Hudsonian godwit, and Mongolian plover. The refuge was last expanded in 1999, it now has 889 acres (3.60 km2) in two units: Bandon Marsh and Ni-les'tun.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Willapa National Wildlife Refuge</span>

Willapa National Wildlife Refuge is a National Wildlife Refuge located on the shores of Willapa Bay in Washington, United States. It comprises 11,000 acres (45 km2) of sand dunes, sand beaches, mudflats, grasslands, saltwater and freshwater marshes, and coniferous forest. The refuge includes Long Island with stands of old growth Western red cedar and hemlock.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge</span> United States National Wildlife Refuge in Virginia

The Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge is a 14,000-acre (57 km2) wildlife preserve operated by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. It is primarily located on the Virginia half of Assateague Island with portions located on the Maryland side of the island, as well as Morris Island and Wildcat Marsh. The refuge contains a large variety of wildlife animals and birds, including the Chincoteague Pony. The purpose of the refuge is to maintain, regulate and preserve animal and plant species as well as their habitats for present and future generations.

The Delta National Wildlife Refuge is located 10 miles (16 km) east of Venice, Louisiana along the Mississippi River. The area formed when a breach in the natural levee of the Mississippi River occurred in 1862 approximately 100 miles (160 km) below New Orleans, Louisiana. The 48,000-acre (190 km2) refuge was purchased in 1935 with the primary purpose to provide sanctuary and habitat to wintering waterfowl. Access is by boat only.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vermilion Point</span>

Vermilion Point is a remote, undeveloped shore in Chippewa County, Michigan, United States. Located 9.75 miles (15.69 km) west of Whitefish Point, Michigan, this historic spot lies on a stretch of Lake Superior’s southeast coast known as the "Graveyard of the Great Lakes" or the "Shipwreck Coast". The servicemen of Vermilion Lifesaving Station performed daring rescues of shipwrecks from 1877 until 1944 when it was closed after modern navigational technology made this service obsolete.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trustom Pond</span> Body of water

Trustom Pond is a closed lagoon in South Kingstown, Washington County, Rhode Island, United States. It is one of nine coastal lagoons in southern Rhode Island. It has a surface area of 800 acres (320 ha), and is the only undeveloped salt pond in the state. The pond averages 1.3 feet (0.40 m) deep, and has a salinity level of 5 parts per thousand. It is non-tidal, except when breached by storms. The water directly receives about 219,844,022 US gallons (832,200 m3) of precipitation per year, with an estimated 796,215 US gallons (3,014 m3) in daily groundwater flow. No streams flow into the pond, though a nearby stream "captures water that otherwise would have flowed to Trustom Pond".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elizabeth A. Morton National Wildlife Refuge</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Currituck National Wildlife Refuge</span> National Wildlife Refuge in North Carolina, United States

Currituck National Wildlife Refuge, located on the northern end of North Carolina's Outer Banks, was established in 1984 to preserve and protect the coastal barrier island ecosystem. Refuge lands are managed to provide wintering habitat for waterfowl and to protect endangered species such as piping plover, sea turtles, and seabeach amaranth.

The John H. Chafee National Wildlife Refuge is a national wildlife refuge of the United States, located along the Narrow River on the southern coast of Rhode Island.

Rhode Island National Wildlife Refuge Complex is a National Wildlife Refuge complex in the state of Rhode Island. Its headquarters is in Charlestown, Rhode Island. Dotted along the Rhode Island's Atlantic coastline, the five refuges that make up the complex offer a wide variety of natural settings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Moss Landing Wildlife Area</span> California State wildlife preserve

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Sandy Point Island is a 35-acre (14 ha) island in Little Narragansett Bay, lying mostly in Westerly, Rhode Island and partly in Stonington, Connecticut. Once an extension of Napatree Point, Sandy Point is now a one-mile-long (1.6 km) island that serves as an important nature preserve and recreation site. Sandy Point is the westernmost piece of land in the state of Rhode Island.

References

  1. ↑ Hill, Thomas Edie (1897). The new revised Hill's manual of social and business forms: a guide to correct writing. W.B. Conkey Co. p. 26.
  2. 1 2 3 Goldin, Meryl R. & Regosin, Jonathan V. "Chick Behavior, Habitat Use, and Reproductive Success of Piping Plovers At Goosewing Beach, Rhode Island". Journal of Field Ornithology. 69 (2): 228–234.
  3. ↑ Rhode Island Resource Protection Project Open-space, Recreational and Cultural Resources. (JPG image, November 29, 1996) edc.uri.edu
  4. ↑ Rhode Island Resource Protection Project Habitat Resources. (JPG image, November 29, 1996) edc.uri.edu
  5. ↑ Biodiversity Resources Archived July 23, 2011, at the Wayback Machine . (GIF image) edc.uri.edu
  6. ↑ Restoration Sites and Watershed Basins in Little Compton, Rhode Island. (PDF) edc.uri.edu (December 2001)
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 "Audubon: Birds & Science [-71.12694, 41.4975] – Quicksand/Tunipers Pond – Goosewing Beach". Iba.audubon.org. Retrieved 2011-06-12.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "33_rhode island sound". Library.fws.gov. Retrieved 2011-06-12.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Quicksand Pond/Goosewing Beach Preserve | The Nature Conservancy". Nature.org. 2011-02-08. Retrieved 2011-06-12.
  10. ↑ Fry, Adam J. (1992). Bird Walks in Rhode Island: Exploring the Ocean State’s Best Sanctuaries. Backcountry Publications. pp. 22–26. ISBN   0-88150-218-9.
  11. 1 2 3 "Rhode Island Top Five Must-See Migrations | The Nature Conservancy". Nature.org. 2011-03-01. Retrieved 2011-06-12.
  12. ↑ Howe, Reginald Heber & Sturtevant, Edward (1899). The birds of Rhode Island.
  13. ↑ Annual report – Division of Fisheries and Game Volume 25 of Public document. Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Game. 1920. p. 47.
  14. ↑ National Audubon Society, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (1988). American birds, Volume 43. National Audubon Society.
  15. ↑ "Site Report: Quicksand/Tunipers Pond – Goosewing Beach". Iba.audubon.org. Retrieved 2011-06-12.
  16. ↑ Sanderson, Matthew. "Quicksand Pond/Goosewing Beach Preserve – Tiverton-Little Compton, RI Patch". Tiverton.patch.com. Retrieved 2011-06-12.
  17. ↑ "World's best eco-friendly beaches". CNN. 2010-07-17. Retrieved 2011-06-12.
  18. ↑ "New England summer travel in Rhode Island - Boston.com". Articles.boston.com. 2011-05-15. Retrieved 2011-06-12.
  19. ↑ Holly Hughes (2009). Frommer's 500 Places to See Before They Disappear. Wiley. pp. 230–. ISBN   978-0-470-43162-7.
  20. ↑ MrBwclosson. "The New Benjamin Family Environmental Center!". YouTube. Retrieved 2011-06-12.
  21. ↑ "The Nature Conservancy in Rhode Island – Introducing...the new Benjamin Family Environmental Center | The Nature Conservancy". Nature.org. Retrieved 2011-06-12.
  22. ↑ Groundwater Classification and Well Head Protection Area 2010 Archived September 28, 2011, at the Wayback Machine . (JPG image). dem.ri.gov
  23. ↑ Gleason's literary companion, Volume 5. F. Gleason. 1864.
  24. ↑ Acts and resolves of the General Assembly of the state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. 1853.
  25. ↑ Digest of annual reports of State agencies, Volume 2. 1965.
  26. ↑ Kovach, Kenneth M. & Canario, Manuel T. Shellfish survey of Quicksand Pond, Little Compton, R.I. Issue 23 of Leaflet (Rhode Island. Division of Fish and Wildlife). Rhode Island Division of Fish and Wildlife.
  27. 1 2 3 Lord, Peter B. (2007-05-26). "A sea change | Rhode Island news | projo.com | The Providence Journal". projo.com. Retrieved 2011-06-12.
  28. ↑ "RI DEM/Water Resources- Notice of Polluted Shellfishing Grounds, May 2011" (PDF). Retrieved 2011-06-12.
  29. ↑ "Noreen Inglesi's Song: Quicksand Pond". Broadjam.com. 2011-06-06. Retrieved 2011-06-12.
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