Nuhl Estuary

The NUHL ESTUARY is a pair of widened bodies of estuary waters that intermingle saltwater from the Sea of Winds and the colder freshwater run from the NUHRE RIVER in varying degrees. The two bodies are often referred to as the Upper Nuhl and the Lower Nuhl.

The Lower Nuhl is an intertidal body of water fed directly by the Sea of Winds. Here the strong atmospheric conditions off the Sea and accompanying underpull tides make for dramatic changes in the underwater environment and life that is found there. Shortly after strong tides the Lower Nuhl is often awash with saltwater schools of fish that provide a bounty to local fishermen. With a depth more shallow than the Sea, the harvesting of these schools is a matter of speed rather than luck as nets fill quickly. Unfortunately, this same bounty often attracts marine predators that can ride the higher tides into the estuary and then remain there for a time feasting on the smorgasbord of prey. This prey, if the underwater intruder is large or fearsome enough, can often include the fishermen.

The Upper Nuhl is more freshwater-based and less subject to the tides which makes it a more fertile place for the mangroves and other wetland flora that flourish along the shifting hummocks and sandbars. The Upper Nuhl is a tricky navigational area and its varying depths and sandbars make the entry of deepwater vessels an impossibility. The waterway is usually traversed by flat-bottomed hulls, canoes and some river scows.

Fed By

Núhre River, Sea of Winds

Type

Estuary / River delta