Headwaters Park is a unique area, located near I-90 and Route 8, creating the headwaters of Mill Creek. These 35 acres were donated by Erie County for the creation of this conservation park. Located within an industrial park and along a major interstate highway, Headwaters Park is the ideal setting for hands-on conservation education. The Park is managed and staffed by the Erie County Conservation District to work with industrial and public environmental concerns.
Parking is available in the lots adjacent to the Natural Resource Center. The upper lot is a permeable parking lot and the lower lot is recycled asphalt. Please head from here to the gate listed in the additional waypoints section. Do not walk down the hill. The hill is an erosion control area and walking down the hill will damage the plants and aid erosion.
From the gate proceed to the sign at the bottom of the hill. This sign acts as the trailhead and also provides a trail map and other information. Other additional waypoints are for signs explaining vernal ponds and braided streams.
This EarthCache will focus on two features of the park, vernal ponds and braided streams.
Vernal Ponds
Vernal ponds are a type of seasonal or temporary wetland. They were once common, naturally occurring features on the landscape. The scouring process resulting from the ebb and flow of flooding rivers, lakes, and oceans created many vernal ponds. Others developed through wind action, earthquakes, falling trees, fire, and chemical actions in the soil. In most cases they are shallow, temporary, and separated from streams and rivers. This often made them tempting candidates for draining or filling. By nature of their ability to hold water, many were deepened and are now managed as permanent ponds and lakes.
Vernal ponds are known by many names and vary in definition. In some locations their name denotes the relationship to the vernal or spring equinox. In areas where the seasons are less pronounced, many refer to them as ephemeral, seasonal, or temporary wetlands. Regardless of the name, the defining characteristics are that they periodically dry up and do not contain fish. Drying may occur annually or only in drought years. In general they dry most often in late summer or early fall; however, heavy rains may fill them any time of year.
In recent years society has begun to appreciate the ecology of vernal ponds and seasonal wetlands. It is the temporary aspect of these wetlands that makes them so important. The wet-dry cycle prevents fish from becoming established, allowing critical breeding and rearing habitat for amphibians, crustaceans, and insects. Vernal ponds and other seasonal wetlands provide a window of necessity for these species to function and fulfill their role in the ecosystem.
Vernal ponds help protect watersheds. They capture and hold water, allowing time for it to seep into the surface and recharge groundwater supplies. This reduces the amount of water runoff, lessening erosion and downstream flooding. Vernal ponds also capture sediment, thereby protecting water quality in streams and rivers.
Braided Streams
A braided stream usually occurs in a stream with a lot of sediment, or pieces of rock, and a steep gradient. In a braided stream, there is a lot of gravel and sand bars scattered throughout it. Usually braided streams have easily eroded stream banks, the sides of the stream channel, and a lot of sediment gets transported. These eroded rock and soil materials that are transported down a stream are also called its load.
Braided streams are created when a stream channel is divided into several small ones by the accumulation of in-channel deposits. This occurs when the load of a flat stream channel is too great for the velocity or discharge. Or, seasonal fluctuations in discharge expose in-channel deposits. Sand or gravel bars accumulate dividing the flow of water into smaller channels.
To claim this as a find:
Locate the vernal ponds. Their general location is shown on the trail map. I am not providing coordinates since there will be a few to choose from.
1. Using your GPS find the width of a pond at it's widest point.
2. Note the coordinates of the pond you use for the measurement.
Find a section of braided stream.
3. Estimate the width of the stream on either side of the deposit separating them. Just an estimate is fine here so you don't have to go into the water.
4. Post a photo of your group where your took this measurement. A photo of your GPS with the braided stream in the background will be fine if you are alone. (This requirement is now optional)
5. Find out what the number one contributor to pollution in the watershed. This can be found on the trailhead sign.
E-mail the answers (questions 1,2,3,5) to me and post the photo (4) within a few days of your log.
Failure to comply with these requirements will result in log deletion.
Thanks to the Erie County Conservation District for permission to list this EarthCache.
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