Nancy Creek Fishing
Atlanta, Georgia
A Whitetail Deer curiously watches fisherman
The Wildlife of Nancy Creek
Nancy Creek hosts a truly diverse amount of wildlife. The unique combination of city and wilderness offers a unique haven from the hustle and bustle of the urban area for many wild animals.
The fairly clean water source, abundant foliage, and security that the creek provides allows for a very healthy population of Whitetail Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) that are present year-round. If you are silent and alert, it is very likely that you will stumble upon some of these secluded creatures while fishing Nancy.
Another mammal that calls the waters of Nancy Creek home is the Muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus). They are sizable rodents that look like a large, furry rat with brown hair. Muskrats are rare, but they can be observed building nests along the banks of Nancy. The Grey Squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis) and Eastern Chipmunks (Tamias striatus) of Nancy are a very common sight rustling through the leaves during the day.
Two types of turtles are also known to inhabit the waters of Nancy Creek, the River Cooter (Pseudemys concinna) and the Common Snapping Turtle (Chelydra serpentina). Both can be seen submerged below the surface with their heads above water. River Cooters can usually be handled safley if you would like a closer look. Always treat
them with respect and return them to the water where you found them. However, you sould keep you distance from the much larger and much more dangerous Common Snapping Turtle. These guys are easily distingisable from the River Cooter because of their much larger and bulkier shell. Snakes are also present in Nancy. We have heard many reports of venomous Copperheads (Agkistrodon contortrix) in the area and have been on the lookout for some. If you do see one, keep your distance and watch where you put your feet to aviod an unuky encounter with a concealed one. Venemous Water Moccasins (Agkistrodon piscivorus) are also present, but we have not encountered any yet. However,
Mallards are freqent visitors at the Creek
we have seen several Water Moccasins slip into the creek as we wade. Both species are distiguisable from other snakes by their "V" shaped head indicating that they are venomous. Copperheads have a very copper-like color with diamonds running along their back while Moccasins are mostly grey or black. Non-venemous snake species can also be found at Nancy such as the Northern Water Snake. These snakes are often found near the water or in it searching for prey such as small fish. Northern
Water Snakes are often confused with Copperheads. They are easily distinguisable by head shape becuase Northern Water Snakes have a narrow head.
Bird life in Nancy is also abundant. Mallard Ducks (Anas platyrhynchos) are often seen alone and in pairs bathing and searching for food. Northern Cardinals (Cardinalis cardinalis) are also seen in ubundance.
Below the surface, the Common Crayfish (Cambarus bartonii) is often found under rocks
Muskrats are occasionally seen patrolling the of Nancy
A River Cooter being examined by fishermen
As you can see, caution should always be used when wading as Snapping Turtles can easily blend into the Creek bottom
during the day and stalking the shallow shoreline at night in search of food. These freshwater crustaceans can be relatively easily collected for bait without harming the ecosystem. The Corbicula fluminea is a freshwater clam found throughout Nancy. These clams are a non-native species from Asia, which has caused the decline of many other freshwater clam species. The remnants of their 1" long golden-brown shells are commonly found washed up on sandy banks.
Contrary to local belief, Nancy Creek is a fairly clean tributary of the Chattahoochee River. Of course it is not exceptionally pristine because of the fairly dense urban surroundings. However, the diverse wildlife of Nancy is a direct reflection of the Creek's current status. Back in 1993, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) conducted extensive research regarding the water quality of the Chattahoochee River and its tributaries. They collected and recorded the fish of eight urban tributaries and one forested tributary to the Chattahoochee River. By comparing the amount and types of fish collected to the forested tributary, one can draw conclusions about the long term quality of
the water (the results concerning Nancy are talked about in greater detail in the "Fish Life" section). The USGS is still working to better understand the cleanliness of these urban streams. Using the convincing wildlife evidence from above surface, we can conclude that Nancy Creek is a much healthier and cleaner creek than many of the locals make it out to be. Our research regarding fish life is our most extensive compared to other wildlife so please check out the "Fish Life" page for more info. Please stay tuned as we will be conducting more research about all of the wildlife of Nancy in the future, including plants.
Common Crayfish can make great bait for almost any fish
Here are some samples of the common Corbicula fluminea
This Northern Water Snake made a meal of an unlucky Flat Bullhead
The Terrain of Nancy Creek
Nancy runs its entire 16.3 miles almost entirely inside the perimeter. This tributary creek originates from the water holding pools of the Dekalb County Water Works and flows southest untill feeds into Peachtree Creek near Ridgewood RD NW 16.3 miles later. Soon after Nancy meets Peachtree, the tributaires flow into the Chattahoochee River. Nancy's drainage basin is 35 square miles with 91% of that being an urban area. Almost two thirds of the urban area is residential. The rest of the drainage is almost entirely forested.
Significant flooding issues during periods of extended rainfall are common in Nancy Creek. At West Wesley RD, flood stage is considered to be about 12 ft. Flooding has become an issue because of mostly because of excessive urbanisation. While Nancy is usually fairly calm and clear, it does not take a lot of rain for it to reach dangerous heights and water quality. When it rains, storm water and ground water contaminations skyrocket because pretty much everything in Nancy's drainage basin is washed into the creek. Nancy also has significant sedimentation problems from extensive construction and stream bank erosion. Sedimentation is a huge contributing factor to the flooding issue. Although sedimentation comes in part with urbanization it can still be slowed down by consciously preserving stream banks. As with any urban body of water, Nancy has also had some serious littering issues. Fishermen or the common passerby can make a huge difference by picking up litter when they see it.
A little over a third of Nancy's bottom is comprised of sand. The rest consists of boulder, gravel, mud, logs, silt, and various debris. The sand and silt is often not natural and is a result of sedimentation. In large quantities, the sand can negatively impact fish habitat by filling in places amongst boulders where fish like to hide. Thankfully, the sedimentation so far is not too much of an issue for the fish of Nancy.