KILLBUCK WET LANDS EarthCache
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Difficulty:
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In 1991, the Killbuck Wetlands was created where the Killbuck Creek
feeds into the White River on land reclaimed from an old auto
salvage and junkyard,
The wetland trail is connected to the south loop of the Shadyside
trails and offers both asphalt and boardwalk trails spanning .33
mile.
The trail lies in an area packed with abundant wildlife and
beautiful landscapes.
The area is the temporary home for a variety of species of
migratory birds. Located in the south part of Shadyside Memorial
Park, on the Anderson Waterways Trail System.
There is 12.3 Acres of Wet Land here. Ample parking is located at
W40 06.978 N 085 40.641
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 some
times and a dry field at other times due to 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.
WHAT GOOD IS A WETLAND?
Wetlands have long been considered worthless and an impediment to
development.
They have been drained and filled to make way for houses, roads,
and farmland.
Although we continue to lose wetlands, the rate of loss is
decreasing. And people are starting to discover how valuable
wetlands are.
NATURAL FILTER.
By trapping and holding water, wetlands store nutrients and
pollutants in the soil, allowing cleaner water to flow in to the
body of water beyond or below the wetland. Vegetation, like
cattails, can absorb some of the pollutants that remain in the
soil.
Wetlands also moderate water flows,
providing time for sediments to settle out before the water is
released to other wetlands, lakes, or streams.
Less sediment means clearer waters and a better environment for
aquatic life.
VEGETATION
Plants (called hydrophytes or just wetland plants) specifically
adapted to the reducing conditions presented by such soils can
survive in wetlands, where as species intolerant of the absence of
soil oxygen (called "upland" plants) cannot survive.
Adaptations to low soil oxygen characterize many wetland
species.
Wetland vegetation reduces erosion along lakes and stream banks by
reducing forces associated with wave action. Wetlands can slow
runoff water, minimizing the frequency streams and rivers reach
catastrophic flood levels.
Generally, wetlands are located within topographic features that
are lower elevation than 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.
Go to the posted coordinates.
It is the parking area for KillBuck wet lands. You will need to go
at least off the trail, to make sure you are getting a good
result.
Things you will need to have with you
1. Water
2.Small Container
3.Litmus Test.(The main use is to test whether a solution is acidic
or alkaline.)
To claim this as a find, answer the following questions for me, via
email
1. Is there any visible water?
2. If there is water, take a pH reading.
If there is no water, then you will need to take a pinch of soil
and dilute it in some fresh water.
Then take a pH reading of that.
The water needs to be fresh, but not necessarily sterile, purified
or distilled. Tap water will do just fine.
I'd encourage you to take some water and a small container to do
this in. But if you forget, you can take a pinch of soil with you
to do your testing at home. (pH is the measure of the acidity or
alkalinity of a solution.)
3. Take a picture in which your (face is identifiable,) and I can
see the Wet Lands in the background, and post it with your log.
TO CLAIM THIS AS A FIND: Email your answer to the PH. test to me at
time of logging. Logs submitted without a picture and the answer to
the PH test. WILL BE DELETED by owner!
THIS EARTHCACHE WAS PLACED BY A
PLATINUM EARTHCACHE MASTER
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
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