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Title: Information Sheet, Offutt Island, 15 January 2005

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Offutt Island, Maryland, U.S.A.

In the afternoon of 15 January 2005, Mr. Nicholas Grenier kindly gave me a tour of Offutt Island in the Potomac River, Montgomery County, Maryland.   It was about 33 degrees F, still, and sunny at times.   He took me by canoe through the high, boiling, brown water of the River which was full of sediment.   I was pleased to see a large American Beaver swimming and a Great Blue Heron fishing on the way to the Island.   It has steep cliffs on its west side and two main areas of rock outcrops in its interior area.   The scenic Island has many great plant species, ephemeral ponds, and other positive features, but also way too much biomass of the “dirty-dozen” alien, invasive plants (including Alliaria petiolata, Hedera helix, and Lonicera japonica).

Some of the things that I saw are shown below.

I’m including the password “COCNHP” for this page because Offutt Island is adjacent to Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park (COCNHP), and many people who visit the COCNHP do not get to visit the Island.   To find all pages on the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park on this Website, please use the “keyword” “COCNHP."

I thank Nick for the great tour.

E. M. Barrows (20 January 2005)

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Descriptions of the images are below this image patch.




Please, click on images to enlarge them.



Figures 1–2.   Part of the west end of Offutt Island.

Figure 3.   A view of the Potomac River.

Figure 4.   Moss.

Figure 5.   Sphagnum and other moss in a moist area in the bed rock.



Figures 6–10.   Some plants in the west end of the island in the bedrock outcrop.



Figure 11.   Part of the north side of the Island with a large patch of Kalmia latifolia (Mountain Laurel).

Figure 12.   A new leaf of a spring ephemeral.

Figures 13–14.   Little Offutt Island under water, showing many Platanus occidentalis (Eastern Sycamores) and a few Acer rubrum (Red Maples) and A. saccharinum (Silver Maples).

Figure 15.   An Acer negundo (Ash-leaved Maple) strangled by Lonicera japonica (Japanese Honeysuckle).

For helpful information about Japanese Honeysuckle from Weeds Gone Wild: http://http://www.nps.gov/plants/alien/fact/loja1.htm



Figure 16.   The same Acer negundo (Ash-leaved Maple) strangled by Lonicera japonica (Japanese Honeysuckle).

Figures 17–20.   Views of bedrock.



Figure 21.   Bedrock.

Figure 22.   A lichen on bedrock.

Figure 23.   A heavy growth of Hedera helix (English Ivy) a major alien, invasive plant on a native tree.   This vine can make trees heavy and fall.   The vine in this photograph is covered with fruit.   Birds that eat the fruit can disperse the seeds far and wide.

For helpful information about English Ivy from Weeds Gone Wild: http://www.nps.gov/plants/alien/fact/hehe1.htm

Figure 24.   Lichens on a wooden railing.

Figure 25.   The same lichens (phototweaked).



Figure 26.   The same Hedera helix (English Ivy) a major alien, invasive plant on a native tree.

Figure 27.   A view of the west end of the Island.




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