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The Cache can be done from the parking area marked by the coordinates. All walking is on flat to gently rolling trail along the area.
The Green Bottom Wildlife Management Area, located in Cabell and Mason counties, is managed as a multiple use area to include hunting, trapping,fishing, hiking and wildlife observation.
Rich in history, as well as prehistory, the Green Bottom area was used by prehistoric Indians as long as 12,500 years ago when Paleo-Indians passed through the area in search of caribou and mastodon. Eighteen recorded archeological sites are present, six of which will be nominated to the National Register of Historic Places. One, the Clover site, is a candidate for listing as a National landmark.
Owned by the WVDN R with portions leased from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Green Bottom WMA was developed in 1989. Management is conducted by the Wildlife Resources Section of the DNR in consultation with the master plan for the area and the Corps of Engineers Green Bottom Development Plan. The Division of Natural Resources and the Corps of Engineers are committed to the protection of the historical and archeological resources of this area.
The area's vegetative classifications reflect its history as farmland, with 518 acres of agricultural land, 162 acres of forestland, 140 acres of wetlands and 16 acres of open water. The forestlands are located at those sites which early owners considered too wet or steep for farming. The existing forestland consists of bottomland hardwoods on or near stream banks and oak-hickory types which prevail on the steeper portions of the area.
A wetland is an area of land consisting of soil that is saturated with moisture, such as a swamp, marsh, or bog.
As defined in terms of physical geography, a wetland is an environment "at the interface between truly terrestrial ecosystems and aquatic systems making them inherently different from each other yet highly dependent on both"[1]. In essence, wetlands are ecotones. Wetlands often host considerable biodiversity and endemism.
Hydrology
Generally, the hydrology of a wetland is such that the area is permanently or periodically inundated or saturated at the soil surface for a period of time during the growing season. The presence (or absence) of water is not necessarily a good method for identifying wetlands because the amount of water generally fluctuates depending on such things as rainfall patterns, snow melt, dry seasons, longer droughts, and tidal patterns. Often the same wetland can appear to be an open body of water sometimes and a dry field at other times because of significant fluctuations in water levels. The three water sources that contribute to wetlands are:
precipitation falling within the wetland
groundwater moving up or out from the subsurface of the wetland
surface flow from the surrounding watershed or nearby water bodies (lakes, streams, oceans, etc.)
Location determines which of these sources will be contributing water to a wetland.
Topography
Generally, wetlands are located within topographic features that are lower in elevation that the surrounding landscape such as depressions, valleys, and flat areas. Topography plays an important role in determining the size and shape of a wetland by controlling where the water goes and how long it stays there.
Location:
Green Bottom Wildlife Management Area is located 16 miles north of Huntington. The majority of the property is between state Route 2 and Ohio River in Cabell and Mason counties. Approximately 67 acres located on the eastern end of the area is south of state Route 2.
IMPORTANT:
Due to the area being used for hunting, it will be closed during the first 2 weeks of October, until 12:00 noon. So if you are planning on getting the cache, please note the dates and know it is closed until noon.
This is a Earthcache for young cachers mainly. It is designed to help stimulate an interest in science and caching.
In order to log the cache, you will need to answer the following questions and email the answers to me. Please do not post answers in the log. Also, you will need to post a picture of you with the area in the background. You can use any of the area as background. Do Not Include any of the signs in the picture.
Questions:
1. What type of wetland are you in? A) Marsh B)Swamp C)Bog
2. Estimate the width and length of the water area. Use your GPSr to mark points and calculate.
3. On the sign at the entrance to the area, what is fully protected?
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
[No hints are needed, just be sure to check all the signs in the area for clues.]