Nantahala River Gorge Earthcache EarthCache
Hidden : 7/20/2007
Difficulty:
1.5 out of 5
Terrain:
1.5 out of 5

Size: Size: not chosen (not chosen)

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Geocache Description:

The above coords will take you to a place where the forces of nature have carved into the earth's crust to form a deep gorge.

For over a million years the Nantahala River has cut it's way through the mountains of North Carolina to form the Nantahala River Gorge through the process of erosion. Erosion is displacement of solids (soil, mud, rock and other particles) by the agents of ocean currents, wind, water, or ice by downward or down-slope movement in response to gravity or by living organisms (in the case of bioerosion).

Erosion is distinguished from weathering, which is the decomposition of rock and particles through processes where no movement is involved, although the two processes may be concurrent.

The geology of the Southern Appalachian mountain system is such that the terrain does not have the lakes and glacial deposits typical of the northern system that provide natural storehouses for water . Sudden rains bring rapid rises and falls to the Southern Appalachian stream flows which added to the erosion of the gorge. With the establishment of the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) in 1933, a system of dams and lakes were created to harness flood conditions and use Appalachian water power to produce electrical power. Water discharge from the Nantahala Power plant, rushing at 586 cubic feet per second, fills the Lower Nantahala Gorge and continues to erode the gorge to this day.

Among the many unique natural features of the Gorge is below Patton's Run rapid, where the river surprisingly takes a 90 degree bend to the right. Writing for the Asheville Citizen-Times in 1992, Bryson City, NC-based writer George Ellison wrote "Few of the thousands of whitewater enthusiasts who set off from this area...realize that it's one of the most significant geological sites in the southern mountains." It was proposed by geologist Arthur Keith that the river originally ran northwards from Georgia, but was hijacked by a resolute limestone strata and made to run in the easterly direction it follows today. Put forth by Keith early this century, the theory continues to hold.

To log this earthcache you must post a picture of the river which is what actually caused the formation of the gorge, which is a short walk down the paved path and email me the answers to the following questions...


1)How deep is the Nantahala Gorge at the point where the coords take you to?
2)How long is the total distance of the Nantahala River?
3)How long is the actual Nantahala River Gorge?
4)What creature can only be found in the Nantahala Gorge?
5)What endangered species can be found in the Nantahala Gorge?
Some of these answers can be found by searching the area where the coords put you...Some might take a little research!

Please do not post your answers in your online log. Any logs containing answers or not meeting the guidelines including the posted pictures will be promptly deleted without notice. I will not email anyone begging them to fulfill the requirements! Thanks...

This Earthcache was approved by the GSA

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This Cache Was Placed By A Proud Member Of
Greater East Tennessee Geocaching Community
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