Confluence
Confluence, in geography, describes the meeting of two or more
bodies of water. It usually refers to the point where a tributary
joins a more major river. A notable confluence is the merging of
the Monongahela and Allegheny Rivers. This merging point is the
beginning of the Ohio River, thus forming a confluence in
Pittsburgh. Then the Ohio meets the Mississippi for another notable
confluence. The confluence of the Ohio and Big Sandy Rivers is not
as big, but by definition is the same as the confluences described
above.
River
A large natural stream of water (larger than a creek). A river
is a large natural waterway. It is a specific term in the
vernacular for large streams, stream being the umbrella term used
in the scientific community for all flowing natural waterways. In
the vernacular, stream may be used to refer to smaller streams, as
may creek, run, fork, etc.
A River starts at a point called its source, and enters a
sea or lake at its mouth. Along its length it may be joined
by smaller rivers called tributaries. A river and its
tributaries are contained within a drainage basin called the
watershed. The point at which two or more rivers join, is
called the confluence.
Description of the Rivers:
The Ohio River is the largest tributary by volume of the
Mississippi River. It is approximately 981 miles (1,579 km) long
and is located in the eastern United States. The river had great
significance in the history of the Native Americans. It was a
primary transportation route during the westward expansion of the
early U.S. It flows through or along the border of six states, and
its watershed encompasses 14 states, including many of the states
of the southeastern U.S. through its largest tributary, the
Tennessee River. During the eighteenth century, it was the southern
boundary of the Northwest Territory, thus serving as the border
between free and slave territory. It is sometimes referred to as
the "Mason-Dixon line" as it is commonly acknowledged as the
western natural extension of the original Mason-Dixon line that
divided Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, and West Virginia (and at
one time part of Virginia) thus being the unofficial, and at times
disputed, border between the Northern United States and the
American South or upland South.
The Big Sandy River is a tributary of the Ohio River,
approximately 28.79 mi (43 km) long, in western West Virginia and
northeastern Kentucky in the United States. The river forms part of
the boundary between the two states along its entire course. Via
the Ohio River, it is part of the Mississippi River watershed.
It is formed between Louisa, Kentucky and Fort Gay, West Virginia
by the confluence of the Tug Fork and Levisa Fork. It flows
generally northwardly in a highly meandering course, between
Lawrence and Boyd Counties in Kentucky and Wayne County in West
Virginia. It joins the Ohio between Catlettsburg, Kentucky and
Kenova, West Virginia, 8 mi (13 km) west of Huntington, West
Virginia, at the common boundary between West Virginia, Kentucky,
and Ohio.
The river is navigable and carries commercial shipping, primarily
coal mined in the immediate region.
The name of the river comes from the presence of extensive sand
bars
Requirements for logging the cache:
1. Upload a picture of you, including your face and GPSr and the
rivers behind you.
2. Email through our profile, the answers to the following
questions:
a. What three states are included in the Big Sandy River Basin?
(Hint: Ohio is NOT one of them)
b. Name the four major hydrologic units in the Big Sandy River
Basin.
c. Name five of the fourteen states in part or in whole within
the Ohio River drainage basin.
d. How many Lock and Dam facilities currently exist on the Ohio
River?
e. Estimate within +/- 40 yards, the width of the Big Sandy River
in yards, from the Waypoint to the nearest bank in Kentucky.
f. Estimate within +/- 100 yards, the width of the Ohio River in
yards, from the Waypoint to the nearest bank in Ohio.
g. Estimate the rate of flow of the Big Sandy River in mph. Use
the method outlined here:
The formula for Feet per Minute is: Distance (in feet) divided by
time (in minutes) equal feet per minute or, D/T = fpm
Calculator recommended!
Go to the secondary waypoint which is located approximately .15
mile SSW at the boat launch ramp. Toss a small stick or branch into
the water and begin timing. (PLEASE don’t throw trash into the
river). Go to the tertairy waypoint and watch for your marker to
come abreast of this location. Note the total amount of time in
minutes and seconds (to the nearest 10 seconds) for it to float
downstream even with you. Convert seconds past a whole minute to a
decimal. Use this conversion table for seconds:
10 seconds = .17 Minutes
20 seconds = .33 minutes
30 seconds = .5 minutes
40 seconds = .67 minutes
50 seconds = .83 minutes
The result is “T” (Time in minutes)
“D” (Distance in feet) has been provided for you; it is 240
feet.
Divide “D” by “T”
The result is the rate of flow in Feet per Minute