# data[].attributes.body
Swamps are a critical part of our natural environment. They protect our shores from wave action, reduce the impacts of floods, absorb pollutants and improve water quality. They provide habitat for animals and plants and many contain a wide diversity of life, supporting plants and animals that are found nowhere else. Wetlands are also the vital link between land and water.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
A swamp is defined as a wetland dominated by trees or dense shrub thickets, although in popular parlance it's commonly applied to many other sodden ecosystems, including marshes, bogs, fens and mires. True swamps are found from the subarctic to the heart of the tropics, native to a significant range of climate zones. They may be permanent or seasonal in nature, and when left undisturbed, foster a wild, primal atmosphere.

Swamps require adequate precipitation to feed seasonally flooded rivers and high water tables and to collect in slow-draining depressions -- conditions met in places from tropical-wet to subarctic climate zones. However, such locations, varied as they are, must also have the correct temperature and precipitation patterns for tree or shrub growth, as the absence of a dense population of woody plants defines a waterlogged basin, rather than a swamp.

Floodplain swamps, which develop on the bottomlands that surround rivers, are most extensive in the tropics and subtropics. The Amazon Basin of northern South America and the Congo Basin of equatorial Africa both harbor vast swamp forests in a mosaic with lowland tropical rainforest. Big bottomland swamps also prevail across much of the southeastern U.S., carpeting the floodplains of big rivers like the Mississippi, Atchafalaya and Altamaha. Mangrove swamps -- defined by semi-aquatic, salt-adapted trees that don't tolerate frost or freezing -- proliferate most in tropical climates, particularly along tidal rivers and within estuary-delta complexes. Biggest is the Sundarbans, an enormous, tiger-prowled mangrove kingdom where the Ganges-Brahmaputra Delta flows into the Bay of Bengal.

Swamps that are only seasonally inundated are common in regions where hydrological patterns vary markedly across the year. Swamp-specialist trees are often more resilient in the face of both extended inundation and drought than marsh vegetation. The amount of time in which a swamp has standing water is called its "hydroperiod." The water level in wet- and dry-season swamps can rise and fall in concert with the water table. Similarly, a floodplain swamp may be mostly dry outside seasonal high-water periods, during which swollen rivers overspill their banks.

In many parts of their great brackish range -- from the Caribbean to the Philippines -- mangrove swamps regularly contend with tropical cyclones. Hurricanes in the coastal Everglades, for example, can topple old, tall mangroves outright or choke whole groves with seafloor muck, creating ghost woods of standing snags and bleached logs. Mangrove swamps are considered important cyclone and hurricane buffers. Where intact, they can take the brunt of an incoming storm and storm surge, lessening damage to human life and property inland.

Ethan Shaw is an independent naturalist and freelance outdoors/nature writer based in Oregon. He holds a B.S. in Wildlife Ecology and a graduate certificate in G.I.S. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. His primary interests from both a fieldwork and writing perspective include landscape ecology, geomorphology, the classification of ecosystems, biogeography, wildlife/habitat relationships, and historical ecology. He's written for a variety of outlets, including Earth Touch News, RootsRated, Backpacker, Terrain.org, and Atlas Obscura, and is presently working on a field guide.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A swamp is defined as a wetland dominated by trees or dense shrub thickets, although in popular parlance it's commonly applied to many other sodden ecosystems, including marshes, bogs, fens and mires. True swamps are found from the subarctic to the heart of the tropics, native to a significant range of climate zones.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Long Swamp Current weather report

Local Time: Wed 04th Sep 9:53 am

Sunrise: 06:04 AM
Sunset: 06:30 PM
Moonrise: 11:13 AM
Moonset: 10:53 PM
Phase: First Quarter with 34 % illumination.

Weekly Weather Report for Long Swamp, Virgin Islands

Looking at the weather in Long Swamp, Virgin Islands over the next 7 days, the maximum temperature will be 29℃ (or 84℉) on Saturday 7 th September at around 2 pm. In the same week the minimum temperature will be 28℃ (or 82℉) on Friday 6 th September at around 8 am.

The national weather service for Long Swamp, Virgin Islands is reporting Thursday 5 th September to be the wettest day in the coming week with around 5.60mm (or 0.2 inches) of rainfall. Make sure to carry an umbrella if you are out and about in Long Swamp, Virgin Islands.

The windiest of all days will be Wednesday 4 th September as wind will reach 18mph (or 29kmph) at around 11 pm.

Weather Forecast ( 07.01-14.01) for the UK and the USA

The UK and the USA Weather Forecast (07.01-14.01) Weather Forecast for the UK The first half of the month in...

Milan: 5 myths about the city

Milan: 5 myths about the city Milan is considered the world capital of fashion and the modern part of Italy....

Why is it worth visiting Prague?

Why is it worth visiting Prague? Where can you simultaneously walk through the filming locations of world movie premieres, drink...

Free Weather Widget for Website

Free weather widgets could be easily added to any website or content management systems (CMS) like Wordpress, Drupal or Joomla. If your website caters for areas in and around then our modern and responsive weather widgets will enhance your user experience by providing weather information.

Simply select your preferred weather widget option below and then copy the HTML code for that widget from the box below it. Paste the HTML code on your website and enjoy the weather!

Our weather widgets work on both HTTP and HTTPS websites with no changes required. Weather loads asynchronous i.e. no impact on your website loading time for better search engine ranking. Our widgets are responsive i.e. it will auto adjust the width according to where you place it on your website.

Please also visit Long Swamp Historical Weather, Text Weather and Weather Charts pages. Historical or past weather forecast page provides historical weather forecast from 1 st July, 2008 till now in 3 hourly interval. Text weather page will allow you to get a weather text summary for next 14 days and weather chart page displays weather pattern like temperature, wind speed, gust, pressure, etc. in graphical mode for next 14 days. We hope you like it.

If anything is not correct on our website or you have any feedbacks or queries then please do get in touch. We are waiting for your valuable feedbacks.

Looking to buy past/historical weather for Long Swamp, please visit Buy Historical Weather Data section.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Local Time: Wed 04th Sep 9:53 am Sunrise: 06:04 AM Sunset: 06:30 PM Moonrise: 11:13 AM Moonset: 10:53 PM Phase: First Quarter with 34 % illumination. Looking at the weather in Long Swamp, Virgin Islands over the next 7 days, the maximum temperature will be 29℃ (or 84℉) on Saturday 7 th September at around 2 pm.

# data[].attributes.body
The United States has lost over half of the wetlands in the lower 48 states, and the losses continue at an estimate of over 60,000 acres per year. Humans are draining, dredging, damming and channeling wetlands, rivers and streams, converting wetlands into cropland, pasture and subdivisions, mining the underlying resources, filling in for road beds or flooding them for open water lakes, and using them for dumping grounds for waste and sewage. Climate change is increasing stream and river temperatures throughout the country, which is problematic for salmonids, which can die if temperatures are too high

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
A swamp is an area of land permanently saturated, or filled, with water. Many swamps are even covered by water. There are two main types of swamps: freshwater swamps and saltwater swamps.

Swamps are dominated by trees. They are often named for the type of trees that grow in them, such as cypress swamps or hardwood swamps. Freshwater swamps are commonly found inland, while saltwater swamps are usually found along coastal areas. Swamps are transition areas. They are neither totally land nor totally water.

Swamps exist in many kinds of climates and on every continent except Antarctica. They vary in size from isolated prairie potholes to huge coastal salt marshes. Some swamps are flooded woodlands. Some are former lakes or ponds overtaken by trees and shrubs.

Freshwater Swamps

Freshwater swamps form around lakes and streams. Rain and seasonal flooding cause water levels to fluctuate. In the wet soil, water-tolerant vegetation grows and helps maintain a moist, swampy condition.

In many freshwater swamps in the southeastern United States, cypress and tupelo trees grow. Spanish moss may hang from the branches, and tiny plants called duckweed may cover the waters surface. Shrubs and bushes may grow beneath the trees. Sometimes poking as much as 4 meters (13 feet) above the water are angular knobs called cypress knees. They are outgrowths of the trees' root systems.

Alligators, frogs, and many other animals live in these swamps. These animals are adapted to fluctuating water levels. The shadowy tree root system and cypress knobs provide a rich, sheltered habitat for nesting birds, as well as fish, amphibians and reptiles.

The freshwater swamps between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers in the Middle East are so rich in biodiversity that the area is called the "Fertile Crescent." The abundant wildlife, agricultural opportunities, and ability for communication and trade fostered human technological development. The Fertile Crescent is recognized as the birthplace of civilization and the site of the first cities. The earliest recorded written language and the first recorded use of the wheel occurred around these swamps.

The Everglades, in Florida, is one of the largest swamp complexes in the United States. Called the "River of Grass," this freshwater swamp is actually a wide, slow-moving river flowing from the Kissimmee River near Orlando to the Straits of Florida. The Everglades is 97 kilometers (60 miles) wide and 160 kilometers (100 miles) long. A rich collection of wildlife, from alligators to panthers, calls this freshwater swamp home.

Saltwater Swamps

Saltwater swamps form on tropical coastlines. Formation of these swamps begins with bare flats of mud and sand that are thinly covered by seawater during high tides. Plants that are able to tolerate tidal flooding, such as mangrove trees, begin to grow and soon form thickets of roots and branches. Mangrove trees often grow on tall, thin roots. The roots anchor sand and other sediments. The growth and decay of the roots increase the accumulation of soil.

Among these mangroves live animals that feed on fallen leaves and other material. Crabs, conchs, and other shellfish are abundant in mangrove swamps. The swamps are also home to a huge variety of birds, whose droppings help fertilize the swamp.

Because the young of many marine animals find food and shelter in saltwater swamps, these wetlands are sometimes called the nurseries of the ocean. Many ocean species enter coastal wetlands to spawn. Fish swim into salt marshes to lay their eggs. When the eggs hatch, the young find plenty of food and some protection in swamp grasses or among tree roots. Other species spawn in the ocean, and the young swim into the wetlands and live there until they mature.

People and swamps

Swamps are among the most valuable ecosystems on Earth. They act like giant sponges or reservoirs. When heavy rains cause flooding, swamps and other wetlands absorb excess water, moderating the effects of flooding. Swamps also protect coastal areas from storm surges that can wash away fragile coastline. Saltwater swamps and tidal salt marshes help anchor coastal soil and sand.

The swamp ecosystem also acts as a water treatment plant, filtering wastes and purifying water naturally. When excess nitrogen and other chemicals wash into swamps, plants there absorb and use the chemicals. Many of these chemicals come from human activities such as agriculture, where fertilizers use nitrogen and phosphorus. Factories, water treatment plants, and homes also contribute to runoff. Chemicals not absorbed by plants slowly sink to the bottom and are buried in sand and sediment.

For most of history, wetlands were looked upon as wastelands, and as homes for insect pests such as mosquitoes. (Swamps are home to a wide variety of insects, which feed on the wide variety of plants.) People thought swamps were sinister and forbidding.

In the United States, filling or draining swamps was an accepted practice. Almost half of U.S. wetlands were destroyed before environmental protections were enacted during the 1970s. Most of the Everglades have been reclaimed as agricultural land, mostly sugar plantations. Draining swampland also created valuable real estate in the San Francisco Bay Area in California.

Federal and state authorities drained much of the wetlands at the delta of the Mississippi River in Louisiana as part of a massive system of river management. When Hurricane Katrina blew in from the Gulf of Mexico in 2005, the spongy swamp that traditionally protected the city of New Orleans from destructive weather patterns was diminished. The city was hit full force with a Category 3 hurricane.

Eradicating swampland also threatens economic activity. Two-thirds of the fish and shellfish that are commercially harvested worldwide are linked with wetlands. From Brazils varzeas, or freshwater swamps surrounding the Amazon River, to saltwater swamps near the Florida Keys, commercially valuable fish species that depend on wetlands are threatened with extinction.

In the early 1970s, governments began enacting laws recognizing the enormous value of swamps and other wetlands. In some parts of the United States, it is now against the law to alter or destroy swamps. Through management plans and stricter laws, people are trying to protect remaining swamps and to re-create them in areas where they have been destroyed.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A swamp is an area of land permanently saturated, or filled, with water. Many swamps are even covered by water. There are two main types of swamps: freshwater swamps and saltwater swamps. Swamps are dominated by trees. They are often named for the type of trees that grow in them, such as cypress swamps or hardwood swamps.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Swamps

Swamps are forested wetlands. Like marshes, they are often found near rivers or lakes and have mineral soil that drains very slowly. Unlike marshes, they have trees and bushes. They may have water in them for the whole year or for only part of the year. Swamps vary in size and type. Some swamps have soil that is nutrient rich, other swamps have nutrient poor soil. Swamps are often classified by the types of trees that grow in them.

Conifer Swamps

Trees like white cedar, northern white cedar, eastern hemlock, eastern white pine, pitch pine, loblolly pine and black spruce are common in conifer swamps.

Hardwood Swamps

Hardwood swamps have trees like red maple, black willow, aspen, cottonwood, ashes, elms, swamp white oak, pin oak, tupelo and birches.

Shrub Swamps

Shrub swamps have small trees and bushes like buttonwood, willow, alders and dogwood.

Cypress Swamps

Cypress swamps are found in the southern United States. They are named for the bald cypress tree. Bald cypress trees are deciduous trees with needle-like leaves. They have very wide bases and " knees" that grow from their roots and stick up out of the water. Bald cypress trees can grow to 100 to 120 feet tall.

Fire plays an important role in the establishment of bald cypress swamps. Cypress trees grow very quickly after a fire and re-establish themselves before other trees have a chance to grow!

Many of the bald cypress trees in cypress swamps in the U.S. were cut down in the late 1800s and the early 1900s. The wood from the bald cypress is resistant to rot and was a popular wood for building. Other trees and shrubs like pond cypress, blackgum, red maple, wax myrtle, and buttonwood can also be found in cypress swamps. Animals like white-tailed deer, minks, raccoons, anhingas, pileated woodpeckers, purple gallinules, egrets, herons, alligators, frogs, turtles and snakes are often found in cypress swamps.

From Lake to Swamp

Swamps start out as lakes, ponds or other shallow bodies of water. Over time, trees and shrubs begin to fill in the land. Plants die and decay and the level of the water gets lower and lower. Eventually, the original body of water becomes a swamp.

The Great Dismal Swamp

The Great Dismal Swamp is located in northeastern North Carolina and southern Virginia. It is a mixture of waterways, swamps and marshes. Unlike most swamps, it is not located near a river. It is a coastal plain swamp. Trees like cypress, black gum, juniper, and water ash are common. Animals commonly found in the Great Dismal Swamp include black bears, white-tailed deer, opossum, raccoons, cottonmouth snakes.

Okefenokee Swamp

The Okefenokee Swamp is located in southeastern Georgia and northern Florida. It is about 25 miles wide and 40 miles long. Not all of the Okefenokee is a swamp, part of it is a bog. In fact, Okefenokee is an Indian word that means " Land of the Trembling Earth." Parts of the swamp are so boggy that you can shake the trees by stomping on the ground!

Trees in the Okefenokee swamp include giant tupelo and bald cypress. Mammals like the raccoon, black bear, white-tailed deer, bobcats, red fox and river otter make the swamp their home. Reptiles in the swamp include the eastern diamondback rattlesnake, cottonmouth, eastern coral snake, copper head, alligator and snapping turtle. Birds like the barred owl, anhinga, great egret, great blue heron and sandhill crane are also found in the swamp. Plants like the pitcher plant, water lily and spanish moss that grow in the swamp can survive in the nutrient poor soil and acidic soil of the Okefenokee swamp.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Swamps are forested wetlands. Like marshes, they are often found near rivers or lakes and have mineral soil that drains very slowly. Unlike marshes, they have trees and bushes. They may have water in them for the whole year or for only part of the year. Swamps vary in size and type.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Swamps, bogs, wetlands, estuaries, marshes, muskegs; most people hate-or at least avoid them. We think of swamps as buggy, muddy, too dry to paddle, and too wet to hike. For decades, humanity has been diking marshes off, filling them in, or just plain ignoring them.

Those folks don't know what they're missing. The places on Earth that occupy the netherworld between land and water have a lot to offer: it's in those intersections where nature thrives. And marshes play a critical, if not always an obvious role in the daily lives of anyone who loves the outdoors-even if those folks don't own a pair of rubber boots.

Wetlands Clean Water
When water enters a marsh, with the fine plant roots of willows, grasses, sedges, and rushes, these roots absorb gobs of waterborne pollutants. In slower water, a lot of other nasty chemicals, which tend to be large, heavy molecules, sink to the bottom, where they tend to get buried in the mud and broken down by anaerobic bacteria, or at least stay out of the water column most of the time. Wetlands are so effective at cleaning the water that many cities-including my home of Portland, Oregon-have begun constructing mini-wetlands, called bioswales, next to the sidewalks of city streets, to catch road runoff and run it through a small array of plants as it heads into storm drains.

Marshes are Enormous Sponges
The plants that live there are used to-and actually, require-water levels that go up and down. Marshes act as a natural flood protector by absorbing the extra water when rivers overflow their banks. As people have expanded into riverfront land by filling wetlands or diking them to keep the floodwaters out, we've created a system that's fragile, expensive, and risky. The Columbia River's dikes in Portland require continuous maintenance-and a continuous search for basic funding. When they fail-as they did in the 1948 Vanport Flood-the results can be tragic. Keeping the marshes there-instead of filling them and then putting humans in harm's way on the "reclaimed" land-is a cheaper and safer solution.

Birds
There are no better places on earth to see massive hordes of birds than wetlands. Bolinas Lagoon in California, Malheur Wildlife Refuge in Southeastern Oregon, Klamath Basin on the California-Oregon Border, the Everglades, and the barrier islands of the Gulf Coast all have one thing in common: they're wetlands. Birders flock to these spots from around the world, especially during migration. Even the less exotic and famous birding spots in urban areas, like Smith and Bybee Lakes in Portland or Hayward Shoreline in the Bay Area, draw tons of birds in places accessible to urban dwellers looking to get out for an hour or two.

Fish
Birds are more visible, but fish use marshes even more. This makes them both an interesting place and a major economic driver. 70% of commercial fish species, salmon among them, spend a major part of their life cycle in wetlands. Salmon use brackish coastal marshes to let their bodies adjust to the transition between fresh and salt water. So many species around the world rely on wetlands that both a major industry and a major source of healthy protein for hungry people the world have a major stake in preserving them.

Protection from Massive Storms
Hurricanes Katrina and Sandy revealed in a tragic form that coastal wetlands protect cities from storms. Hurricanes that would have once broken themselves up on the coastal wetlands of the Mississippi Delta and the barrier islands of the east coast powered directly into New Orleans and New York, with enormous human and economic costs. The good news, if you can call it that, is that we've become more aware of the value of coastal wetlands, and some moves are underway to restore the coastal wetlands and move people out of harm's way.

They're Fun!
Wetlands and marshes are far more than just important economic drivers, barriers to storms, and producers of clean water. They're fun! They're accessible places to go for a quick stroll, bike ride, or paddle in many cities. Paddling the maze-like channels searching for birds can be as much fun as paddling more traditionally scenic waterways. They're places for kids to catch bugs, muck around in the water, get their knees muddy, and simply explore. And you don't even have to be a kid to enjoy those things: They're fit for everyone.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Swamps, bogs, wet­lands, estu­ar­ies, marsh­es, muskegs; most peo­ple hate-or at least avoid them. We think of swamps as bug­gy, mud­dy, too dry to pad­dle, and too wet to hike. For decades, human­i­ty has been dik­ing marsh­es off, fill­ing them in, or just plain ignor­ing them. Those folks don't know what they're miss­ing.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Our world seems to be mired in anxiety and fear; and civic discourse has degenerated to accusations, outright lies, and rhetoric. While we hear calls to "drain the swamp," any common understanding of what that means, and a willing consensus required to achieve it, seems to elude us. Perhaps we are looking at the situation from too narrow a perspective. It is not just our politicians who are lost in the marsh; it is our spiritual life, too.

The English language is full of references to the soggy, wet places of the world. Have you ever gotten tangled up "in the weeds"? Or perhaps someone you know is "stuck in the mud" (or perhaps is a "stick-in-the-mud")? Recently, we have heard calls to "drain the swamp" of Washington DC lobbyists and political insiders. These sayings all have a common origin: the idea that marshy places should be avoided, lest we become entrenched in the unpleasantness they represent. While modern environmental science is struggling to change this negative narrative about "wetlands," there are natural contextual explanations for it. The negative imagery is quite powerful, and it holds true on a variety of levels: from natural to psychological, societal, and spiritual. Let's unpack these different layers of meaning.

The Nature of Wetlands

Marshes, mires, and swamps-collectively referred to as "wetlands"-are essential natural features found all around the globe. They often develop wherever the land intersects major bodies of water, at the interface, as water from terrestrial sources makes its way toward the sea. Technically, marshes are characterized by grassy or shrub-like vegetation, while swamps feature trees. Mires, or bogs, are acidic and contain accumulated humus deposits known as peat.

Marshes are often difficult to access and to maneuver in (especially for us humans). The water usually moves slowly and may be brackish, or salty. Typically, oxygen levels are low, a condition to which indigenous species adapt. Reeds, for example, grow hollow stems for sucking oxygen to their root structures. Marshes do, however, provide useful water storage and filtration functions: they fill up with water in rainy periods and drain water downstream in dry periods; and they serve as a filter and a sink basin for sediments and pollutants.

Marshes can be highly productive biologically. But they can be quite unpleasant and inhospitable as well, as some of that productivity includes a variety of parasites, leeches, spiders, snakes, and even alligators. Since marsh waters move slowly, oxygen may be depleted by respiration and decomposition, particularly when pollution levels are high. Hypoxia, or oxygen deficiency, may result, causing the death of fish and invertebrates. When decomposition turns anaerobic, fetid odors are produced. This all helps explain the negative reputation held by marshes, mires, and swamps. And as a result, they have become fertile sources for our imaginative depiction of the horrors of stagnation.

Marshes and their renewing properties are also vulnerable to degradation if the natural water cycles are disrupted, and their historically negative reputation has made them a great target for human intervention. We have been very aggressive in intentional filling and draining, damming for flood control, water withdrawals, agricultural and urban development, and pollution. According to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) data, perhaps half of all the marshes in the United States were drained or destroyed prior to 1970. And that destruction has continued. A Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) study reported that in the five years between 2004 and 2009, almost one percent of coastal wetlands disappeared as a result of development pressures and silviculture (human-planned forests) expansion.

Psychological Stagnation

Stagnation is defined simply as "a state of not flowing," yet our imagination associates the word with the unpleasant "marshy" qualities of death and decay. In the natural world, the low-oxygen conditions of stagnation are unfavorable to growth and change, and they give rise to illness and death. In the psychological sense, stagnation refers to the similar condition of being emotionally or rationally stuck or stunted. Without the ability to renew ourselves by absorbing new thoughts, ideas, experiences, and emotions, our vitality and resilience stagnate.

The story of Narcissus offers a good example. Narcissus was a beautiful Greek youth who fell in love with his own reflection. He became so enamored of his image that he forgot about food and rest, and he eventually died. This story is the origin of the modern personality diagnosis of narcissism, an excessive pre-occupation with self-gratification and self-image. Some current psychological research suggests that our omnipresent digital environment and our excessive attention to social media, in particular, promote narcissistic tendencies.

Depression is another psychological condition that represents the quality of stagnation, as it involves getting "stuck" in negative thought patterns and losing the motivation and energy to reach out to others or try something new. While the causes of depression may be varied and difficult to assess, it is clear that extreme emotional distress and feelings of isolation and alienation are shared by many: depression is on the rise worldwide, as is suicide, an ultimate and tragic statement of hopelessness. As we will see below, one key to preventing psychological stagnation may be found in better understanding our spiritual condition.

Societal Entrenchment

In economics and politics, marsh-like stagnation is often referred to as entrenchment. The word entrench simply means "to put in a trench," which is suggestive of being stuck or tightly confined. A corporate management team may become entrenched, for example, if its members stick too closely together and refuse to bring in outside people or outside ideas. Entrenchment can be deadly for a business enterprise when upstart competitors with new and better ideas come along. An individual, a group, or an entire enterprise can get " mired in the weeds" arguing about minutiae while in the midst of a crisis. Stuck in this way, they are unable to break through an impasse or develop a realistic plan forward. As the saying goes, "Nero fiddled while Rome burned." In the broader economic sense, monopolies, cartels, price-fixing, and insider trading represent different forms of entrenchment; they are all disastrous for productivity, creativity, and healthy markets.

In the political arena, entrenchment refers to the condition in which incumbents or small, tightly controlled elite groups are able to dominate and control the political process. By cutting out other participants, eliminating dissent, and rejecting new ideas, these groups set the agenda and determine the outcomes-all in their own favor. As a result, what is lost is any sense of renewal or accountability to the citizens whom the government is presumed to serve. It is on this basis that our nation's capital is described as a swamp, dominated by professional politicians, who have been in office a long time, and their enablers, the lobbyists who wield immense war chests of campaign funds and who trade in secrets and inside information. The entrenchment narrative has become more prevalent in recent years, as indicated by the large volume of books and articles that talk about governments behaving as oligarchies, kleptocracies, or autocracies.

The common thread in our negative image of wetlands, psychological stagnation, and societal entrenchment is this: when what is pure and fresh-whether it be water, our emotions, or our relationships with others-does not flow into each of these systems, the system ceases to thrive and grow and goes into decomposition and decay.

But its swamps and marshes will not become fresh; they are to be left for salt. (Ezekiel 47:11)

Our Spiritual Condition

Emanuel Swedenborg devoted much of his writing to the idea of spiritual correspondences. In a spiritual sense, flowing water is living truth. When the flow of water stops, this truth becomes stagnant and spiritual life dies. Being stuck in the marsh spiritually means becoming confirmed in falsities.

Those who cannot be reformed because they are in the falsities of evil are signified by "the miry places and marshes that are not healed, but are given to salt." (Apocalypse Explained §513:7)

"To be given to salt" signif[ies] not to receive spiritual life, but to remain in a life merely natural, which, separate from spiritual life, is defiled by falsities and evils, which are "miry places" and "marshes." (Apocalypse Explained§342:7)

One common feature of a healthy spiritual life is the belief in and commitment to a truth that is higher than just the laws that govern the natural world. Out of one's personal commitment to a transcendent realm (the infinite) or agent (God), many blessings can flow. These include a sense of purpose, feelings of joy and gratitude, and the willingness to improve the world and the lives of those around us with love. Without such an affirmative commitment, our understanding of life is by definition constrained to the finite realm of physical space and time. If we do not believe in and are not open to spiritual ideas and experiences, then we destroy our potential to receive any inflow of such ideas and experiences.

Meaning and purpose, as they relate to Creation as a whole or to our lives in particular, become limited and relative only to the physical parts of experience. Some thinkers take this to an extreme, framing meaning and purpose as mere illusions. Love becomes just a biological function. Improving the world is defined in purely materialistic terms. This is the condition referred to in Ezekiel, above, where one's spirit has been given to salt.

A commitment to the idea that there is no spiritual life-that the natural world is all there is-is destructive to spiritual life. When we are confirmed in this falsity, any goodness that we might see, feel, or experience is sucked out of life. We are stuck in the marsh and cannot be spiritually reformed, cleansed, and healed.

There is nothing more delightful than a marshy, and also a urinous [stink] to those who have confirmed themselves in falsities, and have extinguished in themselves the affection for truth. (Apocalypse Explained §659:5)

Conclusion

By following the chain of correspondences, we can identify solutions to the various forms of stagnation. As we know from the natural world, fresh water must continue to flow in and through the marsh in order to keep it healthy and biologically productive. In addition, external pollutants must be limited to what the marsh can absorb.

Similarly, our emotional and psychological lives need to include appropriate amounts of openness, recreation, and renewal in order for us to remain healthy. We need to balance our internal preoccupations with outward companionship, aesthetic experiences, and learning opportunities; and we need to avoid the "pollutants" of excessive stimulation, addiction, obsession, and distraction.

In society, we need to foster and support institutions that are resilient, responsive, and open to new people and new ideas. This requires that we go against our natural tendencies toward complacency and complicity and that we resist the temptations of using institutions for personal gain, as all of these behaviors pollute civic life.

To grow spiritually, we need to be open to transcendent possibilities, searching for knowledge and experiences that enrich our appreciation of spiritual truth. If we close ourselves off to spiritual ideas and to the possibility of having spiritual experiences, then our spiritual life will be deprived of sustenance and will decay.

If our spiritual life is "stuck," then where is the foundation for a healthy psychological and emotional experience? When we focus on our own inadequacies or our personal gratifications, we undermine our opportunities to learn, to share love, and to be a full participant in our community. A healthy spiritual life is the wellspring for a healthy psychological and emotional life. It also sustains the virtues essential for a vibrant and thriving civic life: the commitment to truth and the dedication to the well-being of those we are responsible for serving.

Without a healthy civic life, we will never be able to agree on the rules and the practices that will assure that clean water flows into all our different marshes, refreshing, renewing, and rejuvenating the life that exists within them.

It all ends where it begins: with the water of truth that is the source of life.
George Gantz is a writer and philosopher at Read more posts from the Spirituality in Practice series >Spiral Inquiry and directs the Swedenborg Center Concord (SCC), a non-denominational educational project supported by the New Church of Concord, Massachusetts, that seeks to integrate the knowledge of science with the wisdom of religion.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
What Swamps Teach Us about Spiritual Life

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Our world seems to be mired in anxiety and fear; and civic discourse has degenerated to accusations, outright lies, and rhetoric. While we hear calls to "drain the swamp," any common understanding of what that means, and a willing consensus required to achieve it, seems to elude us.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Any type of swamp ecosystem is an amazing place to visit and explore. These ecosystems are diverse in flora and fauna and around the world many have been home to hunter-gatherer peoples for thousands of years. Swamps are low-elevation fresh, brackish or salt-water wetlands that are dominated by woody plants such as shrubs or trees. Swamps are often associated with rivers and streams, and can be seasonally flooded bringing additional nutrients and allowing animals and plants to disperse. Swamps often include higher and drier areas of land known as "hummocks."

Swamp Ecosystems:
Where are swamps found?

Swamp ecosystems are found on all continents of the world except for Antarctica. Some of the most famous are the Okavango Delta in Africa, the Sundarbans in India or the Everglades in the USA. In general, the most extensive areas of swamp in the USA are found in the Southeast. These lands traditionally have been home to the Caddo Nation, Seminole, and Muscogee peoples. The swamp ecosystem produced for all of the survival needs for these peoples. More recently, the Cajun culture that has become established especially in southern Louisiana is based in living in and utilizing swamps for sustenance.

Swamp ecosystem can be a challenging place to survive, but they can also be very productive. Let's look at the swamps of the southeastern USA. One of the major survival challenges in swamps is staying dry. The abundance of water can also make travel challenging, which is why in many parts of the world where people are found living in and around large wetland areas they rely on boats to take care of their survival needs.

Swamps often have an abundance of fish and turtles as well as a variety of wading birds and waterfowl in southeastern the swamp ecosystem. In addition, raccoons, opossums, muskrats, beavers, nutria, swamp rabbits and alligators can also be found there. All of these animals can be seen a potential source of survival food. One of the best known sources of protein in swamplands of the southeast are the abundant species of crayfish (also called "crawfish", "crawdads" and "mudbugs").

Swamp hazards

Alligators are also one of the main hazards of the swamp ecosystem, and large ones can be dangerous especially during the breeding season when they are most active and potentially most aggressive.

The southeastern USA swamps are also home to variety of snakes, including a few venomous ones such as the pygmy, eastern diamondback and timber rattlesnakes, water moccasin or cottonmouth and the eastern coral snake. Though a majority of snakes in the southeastern swamplands are non-venomous, those species mentioned here should be avoided and not handled or otherwise molested. A bite from one of them is a potentially fatal experience.

The fluctuating levels of water in a swampland can itself be both a blessing and a challenge, and permanent structures in such landscapes must be able to adapt to such changes. In some parts of the world, people who lived in or near swamplands approach the problem in different ways. Some built their structures on very tall stilts which kept the structure from being drowned by rising waters. Others adapted by having their structures on floating platforms or large boats that allowed them to float up and down with changing water levels. Some also simply created their homes on the highest ground available. In a temporary survival situation, building a shelter on the highest ground available is often the most successful. Though, there is no doubt that some kind of water-borne craft is incredibly useful. Such a craft could be as simple as an improvised raft formed of large pieces of wood lashed together.

Also it is recommended that you sleep on an elevated platform to reduce the hazards created by venomous snakes and rising waters.

Swamp plants as food and medicine

There are also some edible and medicinal plants found in the swamp lands. Trees that produce edible seeds or other edible parts include: overcup oak ( Quercus lyrata), water oak ( Quercus nigra), pond pine ( Pinus serotina), cabbage palm ( Sabal palmetto), hickory ( Carya myristiciformis), and hazelnut ( Corylus americana). Smaller edible plants include such species as: cattail ( Typha sp.), wapato ( Sagittaria sp.), pickerelweed ( Pontederia cordata), southern blueberry ( Vaccinium formosum), and blackberry ( Rubus sp.).

Medicinal plants can also be found in the southeastern swamp ecosystem, and these include such species as: sweet flag ( Acorus americanus), sassafras ( Sassafras albidum), willow ( Salix sp.), bog bean ( Menyanthes trifolia), sundew ( Drosera filiformis and Drosera rotundifolia) and saw palmetto ( Serenoa repens).

Some swamp plants are dangerously poisonous and should not be handled or consumed. Poison-sumac ( Toxicodendron vernix), and its relatives, poisontree ( Metopium toxiferum) and poison-ivy ( Toxicodendron radicans) are well-known plants that cause mild to severe rashes when touched by people. Wood from these plants should not be burned either, as inhaling the smoke can create the same blistering rash on the lungs and even cause respiratory failure.

Swamp conservation

Many wetlands and swamps around the world are threatened by human impacts. Swamps were - and in some places continue to be - drained and turned into pastures, farmland or paved and developed. Species of many plants and animals are threatened by loss of habitat, and some also from over-harvesting by humans for food and collecting. Please remember that swamps are fragile ecosystems, do not harvest any protect species of plants or animals.

In a true survival situation, it is reasonable to use whatever resources may be available to you to save your life. But outside of such a situation of dire need, there are many ways to enjoy a swamp ecosystem without doing harm. Wildlife watching, photography, canoeing, and camping are just a few examples.

For more resources on survival skills, check out our Wilderness Courses.

Knowledge is Power - Grow Your Wilderness Skills! Get monthly updates on new wilderness skills articles, upcoming courses, and special opportunities. Join the free Alderleaf eNewsletter:

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Any type of swamp ecosystem is an amazing place to visit and explore. These ecosystems are diverse in flora and fauna and around the world many have been home to hunter-gatherer peoples for thousands of years. Swamps are low-elevation fresh, brackish or salt-water wetlands that are dominated by woody plants such as shrubs or trees.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The decision to build on a swamp is usually the very last when it comes to construction-if at all. This is because of the wet conditions that make it ten times harder than any other terrain. As a result, many people will make sure they avoid these areas. However, in a situation where that marshy piece of land is more convenient and really the last option, you will need to know how to go about it.

Soil Investigation

Any effective swamp construction is highly dependent of soil investigation. Once this is done, you will be able to determine on the way forward. The soil can either be removed entirely or strengthened, based on its properties.

Foundation

First things first, you have to ensure that the foundation is set on sound soil. This will help in even weight distribution once the structure is complete. One of the ways of accomplishing this would be filling the land with sand for it to be firm. Next, it is advisable to use a raft foundation. This is composed of a surface of reinforced concrete slab.

On the other hand, in cases where the swamp is too deep a foundation made of strong material such as concrete pushed into the ground to support structures built on top would be more appropriate.

The future road levels around the area will also determine the level of the foundation, especially with regards to drainage.

Adaptive measures

Taking consideration the water in the area, the developer should use water resisting materials. These will help prevent dampness in the walls. Furthermore, materials from clay or soil should also be avoided when filling water logged areas. This is because when the water dries up the clay will cause cracks in the building due to shrinking.

When it comes to construction of a perimeter wall, concrete should be used on the lower part above the proper floor level. The paint should as well be of high quality to prevent moisture on the building.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The decision to build on a swamp is usually the very last when it comes to construction-if at all. This is because of the wet conditions that make it ten times harder than any other terrain. As a result, many people will make sure they avoid these areas.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Georgia's Natural Wonder Animals

The Okefenokee Swamp is a true wildlife refuge. The wildlife seen in the great swamp are in their natural surroundings. These are the natural inhabitants, the original inhabitants - now protected by law. Few places in America can offer as varied and extensive wildlife as this southeastern swamp. Over 200 species of birds have been identified by refuge personnel and visiting ornithologists. There are over 40 species of mammals, more than 50 species of reptiles, and 60 species of amphibians. The waters house an abundance of fish, 34 different kinds.
Black Bear
The bear is by far the most powerful animal in the Okefenokee. At one time they were a menace to the small farmers living near the swamp. They made repeated raids carrying off hogs, small calves, or anything else they could find to eat. Organized bear hunts were not for sport to the settlers but a necessity to protect their livestock. The bear mates in the summer, and the cubs, usually two, a male and a female, are born in the late winter. At birth the cubs are blind, almost hairless, and weigh less than one pound. The mother often sits with the cubs between her legs, blowing her warm breath on them. They are one of the most helpless and dependent animals at birth and in no way resemble the large and powerful animal they later become. They grow 100 pounds a year for the first two years, then 50 to 75 pounds the next couple of years. A full gown bear will weigh around 300 pounds and stand over six feet tall on his hind legs. In spite of their size, they are not slow and cumbersome, but are capable of great speed. The bear is omnivorous, eating both plants and meat. He eats plants, berries, nuts, roots, insects, fish, eggs and small animals. The bear has even learned to find the camouflaged turtle nest by raking its long claws over the disturbed ground until it finds a deep soft spot. It is able to feast on the eggs hidden from so many other swamp creatures.
Otter
The otter is one of the most graceful of all animals in the water. It swims with tremendous speed, as well as grace, and with seemingly little effort. The otter grows to around four to four and a half feet and weighs around fifteen to twenty pounds. At one time they were hunted by dogs as well as trapped because of their valuable furs.
Water Moccasin
Of the 27 species of snakes in the swamp, the water moccasin is one of the largest and one of the few venomous ones. The majority of snakes lay eggs, but the moccasin is one of the few species that give birth to living young. It has large hollow fangs which are connected to sacs of poison in its cheeks. When biting its enemy, it squeezes the sacs to inject the poisonous venom, and returns to its coiled position in approximately ONE-HALF SECOND.
Alligators
The American Alligator was at one time seriously threatened and considered one of the endangered species. "Gator Hunting" became popular and extremely profitable as reptile shoes, handbags, and belts grew in popularity. The alligator was seldom hunted for sport or game but strictly as a business. Two hunters could kill as many as forty gators in an evening. The female alligator builds a large nest, measuring five or six feet across and two or three feet high, in an open area near the water. She lays 30 to 60 eggs and covers them with leaves, muck, moss, and other trash. She then splashes this down good with water and the sun heats the damp vegetation and the eggs in the mound. It takes from 60 to 90 days for the eggs to hatch, and the baby alligators immediately start making a clucking sound. The mother hearing the clucking, uncovers the newly hatched alligators. When hatched, the young alligators are about six inches long. These young alligators grow about one foot a year for the first six or seven years. Full grown they may reach twelve to fifteen feet in length and weigh 700 pounds. The alligator is extremely fast, although he looks slow and clumsy basking in the sunshine. He feeds on snakes, fish, small animals, turtles, and even baby alligators.
Sandhill Crane
This is a large bird between four and five feet in height. They are gray and have extremely long legs. The Sandhill Crane keeps the same mate for life. They nest in fairly open places where trees do not block their vision. They lay two eggs which take about four weeks to hatch. The young cranes can fly fairly long distances within two months because of their rapid growth. Many Sandhill Cranes were killed in the early hunting days of the swamp. Although they were hard to kill because of their extreme wariness and good vision. When frightened or sensing danger a crane sounds its alarm cry that can be heard for miles. Other cranes and animals recognize the distress call of the Sandhill, take up the cry and flee the area. They have been called the "watchmen of the swamp."
Osprey
At one time the osprey nest served as guide-post to the local natives penetrating the unchartered interior. Osprey are known to be territorial. A pair will build their nest usually in a high tree near a prairie and this area for a couple of miles in all directions will become their domain. No other osprey will establish a nest in their territory. The osprey repair their nests when necessary using the same nest year after year. The fact that these nests are in high places, are large and easily seen, remain for many years, and are several miles apart, make them useful landmarks to the local natives.
Anhinga
Many a new-comer in the early days killed himself a "water turkey", thinking he had a good meal. Anhingas, or water turkeys, look a great deal like a wild turkey except that it has webbed feet and is definitely not good to eat. This bird can fly, swim on top of the water, or dive beneath the water, where it can swim at great speed. It eats a great deal of fish which its speed and keen vision help it secure. After diving beneath the water it takes only a few minutes in the sunshine to sufficiently dry out its feathers enough to fly again. On dark, cloudy days when there is no sun it instinctively knows not to go beneath the water.

Other Swamp Birds include the Barred Owl, Great Blue Heron, Prothonotary Warbler, Yellow Crowned Night Heron, Red-Billed Woodpecker, Great Egret, White Ibis, and many more.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Okefenokee Swamp is a true wildlife refuge. The wildlife seen in the great swamp are in their natural surroundings. These are the natural inhabitants, the original inhabitants - now protected by law. Few places in America can offer as varied and extensive wildlife as this southeastern swamp.

# data[].attributes.body
Now the people realize that swamp is important for the life of human being. It can be the source of oxygen and freshwater. It is also used by various organisms as the breeding ground. The fish production relays on the floodplain swamp.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Building Skyscrapers on Chicago's Swampy Soil

Parul Dubey on May 30, 2017 - in Buildings
Editor's note: This was piece was produced in collaboration with the Chicago Architecture Foundation, which provided research, expertise and other assistance during its development.
From his office tower in downtown Chicago, Mike Vendel has no reason to doubt the structural stability of the buildings where he and hundreds of thousands of others spend their workdays. Looking back on the Loop from the shores of Lake Michigan, though, it's a different story.

"Outside enjoying the lakefront, beaches, parks," says Vendel, "you see the sand and you see these huge skyscrapers in the skyline and you think: How do they stay stable in that structure?"

He asked Curious City how it all came to be:
What special techniques or extra work is required to construct massive buildings on swampland around Chicago?
He's right to wonder. Steadying skyscrapers in Chicago (and, come to think of it, many cities around the world) is still a staggering feat of structural engineering. If architects and engineers don't do it right, the results could be catastrophic: They could end up with a lopsided building or, worse, a fatal collapse.

As we found out, in the past 150 plus years, architects have struggled to tame Chicago's swampy soil, with varying degrees of success. In fact, the city's very identity as a hotbed for architecture and geotechnical engineering might be a product of what reporters once deemed "the great layer of jelly in Chicago's cake."

From swamp to city

Offering just a short portage between the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River basin, the area that would become downtown Chicago was a natural choice for the city's settlers - and a naturally swampy setting. Ray Wiggers, a geologist with Oakton Community College, says Chicago's bedrock is buried beneath silt, mud and clay.

"If you had been here, for example, in 1820 when Chicago was still a very small settlement, what you would have found first of all was a soil profile that was mostly wetland soil. It would be something we'd call a histosol - it's very peat-rich, very rich in organic matter," he says. "Very swampy, marshy."
View the USDA's Soil Survey of Cook County for a detailed look at Chicago-area soil
The soil was so slick that in 1856, Chicago lifted itself up to 14 feet off the ground to keep from sinking and sliding around in the mosquito-infested marshland.

Chicago's soil started as sediment drifting around in Lake Chicago - an ice-age precursor to Lake Michigan. That material settled to the bottom, leaving present-day denizens a thick layer of squishy soil.

"If you can imagine your front yard and the little muddy spot you have after it's rained for a while," says Wiggers, "that sediment is really, really saturated and it's very oozy. Imagine trying to build a skyscraper in that."

By contrast New York City - whose architects and engineers pioneered the skyscraper along with Chicago's during the late 19th century - had nearly perfect soil conditions for anchoring tall buildings. Despite being surrounded by water, Manhattan has readily available bedrock.

The rock outcroppings jutting out of the earth in Central Park are visible proof that New York's bedrock, Manhattan schist, comes all the way up to the surface in some places. Chicago's equivalent, a rock called dolomite, can be as deep as 85 feet underground.

"And yet here in Chicago we persevered through all the muck, literally, and built [skyscrapers] here," Wiggers says.

Reporters in the late 19th century described Chicago's soil as "a great jelly-cake" with a "semi-fluid" layer like "molasses." Here's a bit from an 1891 article in the New York Times - back when the word skyscraper was so new that reporters had to put it in quotes:

"What shall it profit Chicago to have taken the prairies and the wheat fields and the distant lairs of wolves and bears in its municipal embrace if the proud palaces in the haunts of its Board of Trade must sink in a smother of slimy ooze? Who shall restrain the great layer of jelly in Chicago's cake? Who can say when it will be released, to be mixed with the sluggish sewage of the river, and then to fill the streets and pour in at the windows while the thin upper crust sinks to its ultimate resting place on the lower clay?"

That clay actually became the key to some early engineering solutions for tall, heavy buildings. Before then, they fine-tuned a method to float their massive buildings on layers of jelly-like clay called the desiccated crust. But as anyone who has stumbled through the lobby of the Auditorium Building has experienced, early engineers didn't always get it exactly right.

An early experiment

The 1889 Auditorium Building is well-known for the important role it played in establishing the artistic and cultural identity of a young, booming city. Roosevelt University now owns the building at the corner of East Congress Parkway and North Michigan Avenue.

The multi-use building, designed by Dankmar Adler and Louis Sullivan, included an exquisite performance space with stunning acoustics and ornamentation. But the building also sheds light on how these late 19th century architects wrestled with designing increasingly taller and heavier buildings on Chicago's waterlogged clay.

If you've ever visited the Auditorium Building or Theatre, you may have noticed that the floors are not quite even. And if you've come in the Auditorium entrance off the Congress Parkway, located under the building's 17-story tower, you may have noticed that you walk down about four steps to buy your ticket and enter the lobby.

Those four steps were not part of Adler and Sullivan's original plans - they were added because that's how far the building has sunk into the earth since it was constructed in 1889. The building weighs more than 110,000 tons.

All new buildings sink a bit at first - a fact architects and engineers have tried to account for since they began building big enough to notice. But the Auditorium sunk more than 18 inches in the first year after it opened, leaving it with uneven floors that can make visitors feel drunk as they navigate. The technical term for this is "differential settlement," which means that the different parts of the building - depending on how heavy they are and how much the soil can bear - settle to different depths.

In the basement of the Auditorium, there's a large crack on the concrete floor that runs parallel to the exterior wall. While the whole building has settled, this is where it's obvious that the heavier exterior stone walls have sunk almost a foot more than the interior structure, which was made from a lighter iron and steel skeleton.

The 1880s and 1890s saw several Chicago buildings that used a hybrid structural system of stone and brick on the exterior with iron and steel on the interior. But because architects knew that a continuous foundation around the building's perimeter would likely sink at different rates and to different depths, Adler and Sullivan designed a foundation system of isolated piers to distribute the load at several points across the building's base. These piers under the building resemble giant pyramids measuring more than 12 feet tall. They acted like the legs of a chair, redistributing the heaviest parts of the building's uneven footprint over a larger area. But these giant pyramids - made with layers of wooden timbers, crisscrossing steel embedded in concrete, and blocks of stone - took up valuable basement space.

Adler conducted extensive tests of the Auditorium footings, loading them with heavy pig iron to simulate the weight of the building and then measuring how much they sank into the earth. But this is an imperfect science. He based his calculations on exterior walls of brick, not the heavier granite and limestone that would eventually be used. It also became clear that the 17-story tower simply weighed more than the 10-story building surrounding it. And the weight of the exterior stone walls was much greater than the lighter skeleton frame of steel and iron used on the interior.

A later experiment: The Monadnock Building

As skyscrapers in the late 19th century grew taller, architects and engineers experimented with ways of preventing buildings from sinking too far into the clay, or settling unevenly.

Burnham and Root's 1891 Monadnock Building, which sits at the southwest corner of Jackson Boulevard and Dearborn Street, is one of the heaviest skyscrapers still standing. Its dark brown brick walls measure six feet wide at the base.

The building's basement holds clues to how such a heavy building stands without its feet on solid bedrock. Owner Bill Donnell explains that the Monadnock is distinctive because it's one of the tallest buildings with walls that actually do the work of holding it up. During the 1890s, buildings needed to get taller, so architects started shifting away from load-bearing walls; instead, they opted for a sturdy skeleton of steel.

Construction crews at the time couldn't dig down 80 feet to find bedrock, so they floated the building on the clay.

They took steel railroad rails and layered them into pyramid-shaped footings that could distribute the building's weight over a larger area. Picture dozens of columns pressing through the basement floor with pyramid-shaped feet, made from railroad rails caked with concrete.

These so-called 'grillage' foundations were used in several other Burnham and Root buildings throughout Chicago in the 1880s and 1890s, including the Rookery and the now-demolished Montauk Block and Great Northern Hotel. Burnham credits Peter B. Wight, who came to the city from New York after the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, with helping to engineer the first one.

In fact, if we think back to our question about Chicago's swamp, this type of floating raft foundation actually makes a lot of sense. Imagine a tall tree growing in a water-filled swamp. Just like the Monadnock's foundations, the tree trunk flairs out wide at the base. With only a shallow root system, this is the tree's only way of buttressing itself in the mud.

The Monadnock is actually a hybrid; its northern and southern halves were completed a few years apart, and feature different structural systems. The north half of the Monadnock was the end of an era in structural design, showing the challenges of this type of floating-raft foundation and thick masonry walls.

A lot more than swampy soil factored into the desire for new structural systems around this time. As land values climbed, developers and clients required taller buildings to make building profitable. That meant architects and engineers needed to economize while also still strengthening the structure against gravity and wind. And if the walls of the building get thicker, the result is smaller rooms with less rentable space. Thicker walls also meant smaller windows. Long before the widespread use of strong electric lighting, natural daylight was a premium amenity that all tenants wanted.

Things changed a bit when the owners of the Monadnock Building expanded only a year and a half later. They commissioned architects Holabird & Roche for the southern addition and rather than design another load-bearing brick building, the architects developed a lighter-weight steel skeleton frame building. Although it used a similar foundation, this steel skeleton frame brought benefits beyond simply weighing less; it had thinner walls, used less material and could be constructed faster.

Just one year after the Monadnock's southern addition was built, another dramatically different type of foundation system, called caissons, was attempted for the first time in a Chicago skyscraper. At Adler and Sullivan's Stock Exchange Building construction site, crews were finally able to drill down through all the clay and fill the holes with concrete, which anchored the building to the bedrock.

Caissons were basically subterranean chambers that could keep construction work dry even deep underground. They diminished the need to float the building on top of the squishy soil, which meant that architects and engineers could experiment with new types of structural systems above ground.

Reaching new heights

Architects in Chicago have dug enough foundations to know their way around the city's famously swampy soil. But in many cities geotechnical engineers are still searching for solid footing.

"For cities that are established, it's more a question of refinement," says Bill Baker, a structural engineering partner at architecture firm Skidmore Owings & Merrill. "There are still cities where you're trying to figure it out. [In] Las Vegas you can't find the rock. There have been some buildings with very large settlements, so how do you deal with that? [In] Houston, believe it or not, you can't find the rock."

Baker knows this problem well. In 1957 architects Walter Netsch and Bruce Graham used steel pilings to anchor Chicago's Inland Steel Building to dolomite bedrock buried deep beneath the Loop - the first time after almost seven decades of skyscraper construction that design teams and engineers had accomplished such a feat.

Though most of the digging and surveying underground is done remotely these days, Baker recalls looking up from 70 feet beneath the AT&T Corporate Center, which opened in 1989.

"You're looking up at a little patch of light, which is the sky, and it of course has an earthy smell," he says. "Somewhere along the way someone discovered there's a tendency to be methane down there, and so we don't go down them any more. We put cameras down there. But I kind of miss going down ... to the bottom of the world there."

He says even though new technology makes it easier to find solid bedrock beneath 100 feet of wet clay, it doesn't always make sense to drill that deep. Modern engineers still use the same general principle Burnham & Root employed when they floated the foundations of the Monadnock Building on an even flimsier layer of soil known as desiccated crust: They just spread the load. Only, today, they prefer a compacted layer of clay found deeper than the crust, called hardpan.

"One of the reasons we don't always sit on the rock is it's very expensive. Because once you poke through that hardpan you're fighting against water that's under pressure," Baker says. "That last few feet is very expensive, which is why if at all possible you sit on the hardpan."

And Baker says Chicago's legacy as an innovation center for geotechnical engineering is very much alive.

"If you were an architect you had to show that you were not just a ballerina, you had to show you could actually speak to the technology," says Baker. "One of the things about Chicago is that it was always an architectural engineering town. ... A lot of the serious architects out there are very, very savvy when it comes to technology."

While Chicago may have been dealt an unlucky geological hand, 19th century Chicagoans did find something useful to do with all the mucky clay: The city became the center of the nation's terra cotta industry. Architects used terra cotta, which is simply baked clay, to help fireproof buildings after the Great Chicago Fire of 1871.

So it might just be that Chicago's sloshy soil helped solidify the foundations of modern tall building design, engineering and construction.

Mike Vendel, Curious Citizen

Mike Vendel, a computer programmer for Accenture, grew up in Chicago's West Lawn neighborhood and now lives in Edgewater. He says he first wondered about Chicago's swampy soil when volunteering in parks along the North Side lakefront. Looking south one day from Montrose Beach, Vendel noticed that Chicago's mighty skyscrapers were basically sitting on the same soggy footing he was.

"I see these giant buildings on the horizon. And then I look down at the sandy soil I'm standing on and I think, how do those massive and immense buildings stay stable in a soil like this?" he wrote at the start of our reporting.

He wondered about the geology of our region and how early settlers overcame Chicago's swampy conditions to lay the foundations of a 20th century skyscraper boom.

"Any architect probably knows how massive buildings can remain stable in any type of soil," he wrote. "But to me, it's a mystery and fairly amazing."
Chris Bentley reports for WBEZ's Curious City and is the Midwest Editor of The Architect's Newspaper. Follow him at cabentley.com and on Twitter at @Cementley. Jen Masengarb is Director of Interpretation and Research at the Chicago Architecture Foundation. Follow her on Twitter at @jmasengarb.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Building Skyscrapers on Chicago's Swampy Soil

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Parul Dubey on May 30, 2017 - in Buildings Editor's note: This was piece was produced in collaboration with the Chicago Architecture Foundation, which provided research, expertise and other assistance during its development. From his office tower in downtown Chicago, Mike Vendel has no reason to doubt the structural stability of the buildings where he and hundreds of thousands of others spend their workdays.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
With the booming population growth that Houston has experienced in recent years, many new residents are choosing to purchase land and build new homes rather than move in to pre-existing structures. But while building your own home can be rewarding, it can also be fraught with certain challenges, especially in the coastal Houston area where many plots of land are wet or marshy.

It is certainly possible to build on your land and create a structurally sound, beautiful home in wet soil. Many homeowners before you have done it! However, it is a task that you need to approach carefully to avoid issues down the road. If you're thinking of building on a wet, marshy plot of land, follow these four tips to avoid calamity.
1. Budget for soil amendment.
Building on marsh lands can be more costly than you might assume, largely because you must first have the soil amended and strengthened. In some areas, this may just require bringing in a few extra truckloads of soil and compacting the ground to give the foundation a firm base. In other areas, you may need to have a more complex drainage system built to keep the land around your home dry. Either way, be sure to get some estimates for soil amendment and drainage early on so you can plan for these costs when designing your home.
2. Work with an experienced building company.
Before you hire a contractor to design and build your home, research their history carefully. Only hire someone who has experience building on wet, marshy lands. You may want to ask for addresses of other homes they have built in the Houston area. Drive around and see some of these homes to verify that they not only demonstrate the type of design you are looking for, but also appear to still be structurally sound after several years. You can also ask a contractor for references specifically from past customers who have had homes built on wet soil. As you may expect, Partners in Building does have experience building all over the Houston area and we would be happy to share references.
3. Be flexible in your plans.
When your contractor assesses your land and its quality, they may find that certain aspects of your desired home design are not feasible given the soil quality in certain areas. For instance, you may want a long and narrow ranch home, but the land may be better suited for a square-shaped layout. While it's definitely ideal to approach the building process with a list of qualities you want in your home, you must also understand that the wet land may restrict your options to a certain degree.
4. Understand that a basement may not be an option.
If you want to include a basement in your home, it will have to be very carefully designed to prevent water problems. Even the most careful builder may not be able to guarantee that you won't eventually end up with water in your basement if the soil shifts and there's a season of heavy rainfall. So, in most cases, it's best to say "no thank you" to a basement when you build on your land. Consider including a larger garage or an extra storage room in your floor plan to make up for the lost space.

Many homes in the Houston area have been built on plots of land that were once moist and somewhat marshy. So, you don't have to be fearful to build on your land just because it is wet. Follow the tips above, work with a reputable building company, and you can have the custom home of your dreams.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Four Tips For Building on Wet, Marshy Land

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
With the booming population growth that Houston has experienced in recent years, many new residents are choosing to purchase land and build new homes rather than move in to pre-existing structures. But while building your own home can be rewarding, it can also be fraught with certain challenges, especially in the coastal Houston area where many plots of land are wet or marshy.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The best way to learn about the Louisiana swamp is to experience it for yourself!

The best way to experience the swamp is on an airboat that glides over the bayou and gets you up close and personal with Louisiana wildlife. A Louisiana swamp tour will help you to get that up-close perspective.

Here are 10 things you didn't know about Louisiana swamps to hold you over until then.

Louisiana is home to three million acres of wetlands.

Fishermen catch more shrimp in Louisiana than any other U.S. state.

Alligators have existed for nearly 200 million years, and over two million wild alligators live in bayous across Louisiana.

Louisiana's cypress trees were used to construct Higgins boats in WWII.

Louisiana land is washing away, due to erosion caused by the building of levees, drilling for oil and dredging canals, at the rate of a football field every hour.

Louisiana's wetlands too 7,000 years to form through a process called accretion in which the Mississippi River Basin flooded, depositing sediment and building land

Louisiana has the longest coastline of any U.S. state because of bays and sounds.

A swamp is an area that hold water and supports woody vegetation, while a marsh is an area that hold water but supports only non-woody, soft, green vegetation.

The nutria was imported from South America in the 1930's for fur farming.

Swamps exist across every continent except Antarctica.

Swamps are a worldwide phenomenon and you can see incredible swamp-lands in a number of states in the U.S. However, Louisiana swamps are worth seeing. They offer a unique environment that can be seen no where else.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
10 Things You Didn't Know About Louisiana Swamps | Airboat Adventures

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Your airboat tour with Airboat Adventures will help you learn about Louisiana's swamps & see a vast array of wildlife that can only be seen here! Here's a list of 10 things you didn't know about Louisiana swamps...but you'll see them up-close-and-personal on an Airboat Adventures tour!

# data[].attributes.body
Swamps are forested, low, spongy land generally saturated with water and covered with trees and aquatic plants. Big parts of swamps are often flooded with water. Swamps are nesting and breeding grounds for birds and other animals. About 6 percent of Earth's surface is covered by swamps

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
A swamp is a wetland which contains lots of trees, plants and animals. It is almost like a marsh, and is often covered with water throughout the year. If you have ever seen a plot of land go for sale which is deemed as a swamp, you may have immediately turned your eyes away and gone to something else. However, did you know that you can actually build on swampy land?

The key to a successful building project is the planning, implementation and the attention to detail you put into the project. Even though a swamp is in no way the ideal plot of land, this does not mean it is impossible to carry out a construction project on this land.

As we already know, swampy soil is heavily saturated with water and this is why many people will turn away from the opportunity to build on this type of land. The soil in a swamp is not unlike any other soil, the issue simply comes with water. When you are trying to create a solid foundation for a home you will know that water does not come into the equation. It is unstable, it changes and it can be unpredictable. However, you can stabilise the soil in a swamp with pressing and other methods which essentially allow the soil to keep its shape and be built on.

When you are working in a swampy area it is absolutely crucial that you invest in great swamp mats for sale because they will provide you and your team with a solid place to stand and move around the site. When surrounded by cold water it is imperative that workers wear enough layers and protection to stop water from getting into their clothes and causing other health issues.

Construction

Once the foundation is laid down and the area is deemed safe to work on, you need to make sure that you use the best quality materials to build on the space to stop any moisture being able to enter the home. You will need to also solidify the soil around the perimeter of the building to ensure easy access on foot for anyone who is staying here. A concrete retaining wall will need to be used underneath the fence to ensure for a stable perimeter and good security.

When looking to decorate a home like this you need to be aware to use waterproof products on both the interior and the exterior walls to prevent any water penetrating the home. You will want to use polished concrete for the flooring in the home and once it is solid you can add carpet over the top of this if you want to. On the outside of the you will be able to make the most of the boggy conditions with water dwelling plants such as certain lilies and other small flowers. This will make the most of the area and can add a lovely finishing touch to your swampy project.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A swamp is a wetland which contains lots of trees, plants and animals. It is almost like a marsh, and is often covered with water throughout the year. If you have ever seen a plot of land go for sale which is deemed as a swamp, you may have immediately turned your eyes away and gone to something else.

# data[].attributes.body
There are two main types of swamps. The shrub swamps are the transitional one, while the true swamp is the swamp forest