The site now occupied by Westmoreland Park was originally (prior to the park's development in the 1920s) an area of marsh and damp meadows with a creek running through it. According to the 1852 General Land Office Cadastral Map TS 1S1E, the creek that issued from the future site of the Reed College campus flowed into a marsh that drained both south (along the current path of Crystal Springs Creek to join Johnson Creek at Johnson Creek Park) and also north, to an unnamed set of channels and marshes that passed through the future site of the Brooklyn neighborhood (the name says it all) and flowed into the Willamette River near what is now the location of the Hawthorne Bridge. Note on the map that there is no defined stream channel connecting the Reed College branch and the channel flowing into Johnson Creek south of the park, possibly indicating that it spread both north and south via indistinct marshy pathways.
By CSP member Patrick Norton The site now occupied by Westmoreland Park was originally (prior to the park's development in the 1920s) an area of marsh and damp meadows with a creek running through it. According to the 1852 General Land Office Cadastral Map TS 1S1E, the creek that issued from the future site of the Reed College campus flowed into a marsh that drained both south (along the current path of Crystal Springs Creek to join Johnson Creek at Johnson Creek Park) and also north, to an unnamed set of channels and marshes that passed through the future site of the Brooklyn neighborhood (the name says it all) and flowed into the Willamette River near what is now the location of the Hawthorne Bridge. Note on the map that there is no defined stream channel connecting the Reed College branch and the channel flowing into Johnson Creek south of the park, possibly indicating that it spread both north and south via indistinct marshy pathways. An annotated detail of the General Land Office Cadastral Map TS 1S1E, 1852 with approximate locations of Reed College, Westmoreland Park, and Oaks Bottom. So what does this have to do with turtles? Well, all species of animals have their own preferred or required habitat, and turtles need logs to bask on in bodies of slow-moving water. Females apparently lay their eggs away from water, but nearby. As far as I know most don't thrive in narrow stream channels hemmed in by human walkways and buildings. Western pond turtle (Actinemys marmorata) or perhaps a western painted turtle (Chrysemys picta subspecies bellii) basking on a log at Westmoreland Park. I often see two here on the same log. Since the big restoration project at Westmoreland Park was completed in 2014 the habitat has been greatly improved for many species, turtles included. The inclusion of 'large woody debris' (tree trunks complete with root balls) projecting into the creek from the banks, along with marginal areas of wetlands on either side of the meandering stream channel has apparently attracted turtles to a location where they have not been seen in decades. CSP board member Kathy Parker saw this one on the walking path on Tuesday, July 16. It was unable to make it through the wire attached to the rail fence to keep dogs out of the creek. The wire may have to be trimmed in spots to allow the passage of small animals such as turtles. It was picked up and passed over the fence so it could access the creek. A closer view. Given the single yellow stripe visible on the cheek this looks to be a western painted turtle, and not a pond turtle. Any herpetologists out there? The most common pet turtle species seems to be the red-eared slider (Trachemys scripta elegans), which, a native to the eastern US and parts of Mexico, is often released into the wild when the owners tire of it. This turtle has become a problem for the native species in areas in which it is introduced. It seems clear that the turtles observed in Westmoreland Park are not the red-eared slider, and so it is heartening to see that the return of the native species here where they have long been absent.
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WritersCrystal Springs Partnership members, PSU Capstone students, and Special Guest writers all contribute to this blog. Archives
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