Barton Fen

Barton Fen is located along Neals Creek a few miles South of Bixby. In January of 2002 we took some pictures of a huge beaver dam along Neals Creek, which had flooding a portion of the fen.  The dam was destroyed in a flood later that spring.  You can click on a picture for a larger view. 

	This is the North side of the main dam.  The dam "esses" for perhaps 100 yards.  It's difficult to sense the perspective from this picture.
	The middle section of the dam rises six feet above the creek bed.  That's a lot of 'dam' beaver sticks.
	This is a view of the dam from the North.  Notice the stream in the upper right corner?  It's six feet lower than the reservoir!
	A higher view of the dam.  In the far distance, at the top of the picture, is the South end of the dam, where there first picture in this series was taken.
	Home sweet home!  For beavers, that is.  Their lodge is in the center of the pond and raises three feet or so from the water level.  Beavers are nocturnal, so I didn't spot any swimming during this trip.
	Beaver carnage--  their ability to decimate the tree population is one reason landowners have disliked them.  But on public land-- I suppose we'll let them eat to their heart's content.
	A view of the deep muck Barton Fen, a few hundred yards upstream from the dam & pool.  If you look closely at the middle of this picture, you'll see standing water from the hillside seepage.  This is considered a primary breeding ground of the endangered Hine's Emerald dragonfly.
	What's a fen?  It's groundwater seepage.  Unlike a spring, which typically flows from a central point, a fen is an area of sub-surface water seepage, most often at the base of a hillside.  The ground is wet and boggy, and little pools of water can be found everywhere, as shown in this picture.
	Fen Damage.  This is the first of three pictures showing how ATVs and 4-wheel drive vehicles can tear up a fen.
	Fen Damange 2.  To the uneducated, a fen is a place to try out those new mud tires.  The rest of us just shudder.
	Fen Damage 3.  We'll try to cordon off this area from vehicular traffic once the trail goes through.  For the record, the Ozark Trail will cross ABOVE the fen, avoiding it and its delicate ecosystem.