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| Yes, those are all mayflies! |
Clean And Clear Catawba, by Alice Battle – July 5, 2012
July 3rd was the night of the full moon. The moon rose just after sunset that night. A
group of kayaks gathered at the Neck Road Access on Mountain Island
Lake at 8 o’clock that
evening to witness nature’s spectacle. They were not disappointed.
The sunset on the water was magnificent. The reflection in
the water enhanced the colors of the sky. What a treat!
The kayakers headed into McDowell Creek. As daylight faded, the skies filled with mayflies. Mayflies are very sensitive to pollution, so the number testifies to
the quality of the water. The surface of
the water was covered with them. A
catfish with its mouth opened skimmed along the surface scooping them up.
Adult mayflies live for a short period of time, hours or
days. In this area, they hatch about the
same time and last for a couple of weeks.
The adults do not eat or sting.
Their only function is reproduction.
Their eggs are laid on the surface of lakes and streams and sink to the
bottom.
The next stage is the naiad stage. Naiads molt 20-30 times in their life
cycle. The final stage is the winged
molt, which the kayakers witnessed that night. The naiads live under rocks,
decaying vegetation or in the sediment. Algae
are their main source of food.
One party parked a truck under the lights at the boat
access. The attached picture shows how
plentiful the mayflies were. Some of
them blew off the truck when it was moved to load the kayaks.
About Alice Battle – Alice lives
on Mountain Island Lake has served on numerous groups devoted to protecting the
lake, including the Duke Energy Relicensing stakeholders group. She currently
is Lakekeeper for the Catawba Riverkeeper Foundation.
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