#chassahowitzka

Been off camping, canoeing, spring hopping, rope swinging, swimming, beach going, water obstacle coursing for a week. Going home will be bitter sweet. 💚

“An Unflinching Look” by Benjamin Dimmitt 

The Ecological Damage of Saltwater Encroachment in Florida’s Wetlands 

Dimmitt has been photographing in the Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge north of Tampa since 2004, after an initial visit more than 30 years ago.

Around 2011, saltwater began leaching into the creeks, due to rising sea levels and the state’s environmental decision-makers. Florida’s water commissioners allowed more fresh water to be drawn into large-scale inland developments and agricultural interests, leaving less for wetlands in the aquifers that feed these essential ecosystems.

Abstract Chassahowitzka River

It doesn’t take long to get disoriented in places like this and I rarely have cell reception in areas this remote, so, I always have my trusty Garmin GPS watch and my hand held unit with SOS.

This is the Chassahowitzka River near the point it enters the Gulf of Mexico. Getting to this spot in my canoe was a bit tricky, as you can imagine. I flew the drone close to 400 feet for this shot.


“The Chaz”

The Chassahowitzka River is located in Citrus County, Florida. It is about five miles long, is fed by several freshwater springs, and connects to the Gulf of Mexico. Occasionally, Bottlenose Dolphins will swim into the swamp-surrounded freshwater reaches of the river.

So why do I call this painting “The Chaz?” Well, although some pronounce Chassahowitzka as what it looks like (”chass-uh-how-itz-kuh), it’s really supposed to be pronounced like “chaz-whitz-kuh.”  Not surprisingly, I’ve seen some people just shorten it to “Chaz.” After all, it’s way easier to say, “saw a dolphin on the Chaz today” instead of saying “Saw a dolphin on the Chassahowitzka River today.” And here’s one last interesting fact about the Chassahowitzka’s name - “Chassahowitzka” means “pumpkin hanging place.”