Liberty Bend EarthCache
-
Difficulty:
-
-
Terrain:
-
Size: 
(other)
Please note Use of geocaching.com services is subject to the terms and conditions
in our disclaimer.
This earthcache highlights the Liberty Bend in the Missouri River
near River Bend, MO. Before 1949, this area was frequently flooded
with even relatively light rains, so the Army Corps of Engineers
was tasked to build a cutoff to the Liberty Bend to help the
floodwaters flow more freely. This channel was opened in 1949 after
two years of construction. There was a 10 foot wide channel was cut
to provide the river a more straight channel to flow in. After many
years of erosion, the river ended up approximately 1000 feet wide
in its new channel. This project eliminated 4.7 miles of the river,
leaving us this extremely fertile area of land and a dry channel to
explore. There are a number of farms and a number of large trees in
the area. This area does not flood any more, but due to the high
amount of groundwater the region still holds, it remains a very
fertile zone. Another tidbit of history of this site: The first
bridge to the south was built before the cutoff was created in
expectation of the river bend being created, causing the Corps of
Engineers to dig underneath the bridge. There are many parks and
recreational areas just to the south of the river to explore, and
more caches to find! Please enjoy your trip to this little-known
piece of area history and geology!
To log this cache, you must do the following:
1. N39 10.828 W94 24.134 - This is a turnoff from 210 hwy (please
approach from west) and is near the western connection point to the
river. Take a picture of you standing at the location with your
GPSr with the green building in the background. This is a good
point to look at the swath the river left behind as you are parked
in the middle of it. Using your GPSr, estimate the width of the
channel at this point. Take a waypoint of the exact location in
your GPSr.
2. N39 11.982 W94 24.180 - This is near the northern end of the
bend at the end of an abandoned road. You can get an excellent view
of the entire river bend valley from this point. Don't get too
close to the edge as it is a good distance downward not too far
from here. Take a picture of you standing at the location with your
GPSr with the same green building from location 1 in the
background. If you're having trouble locating it, it is to the
right of the large tree just south of the end of the road. What is
the elevation at this point? If you don't have the ability to
record the elevation, send me what your GPSr model is and tell me
what man-made objects are about 50' south of the coordinates. Take
a waypoint of the exact location in your GPSr.
3. N39 11.590 W94 23.104 - This is the closest you can get from the
north side to the connection point. From this spot, you can see
nothing but fields of crops as far as you can see. This highlights
the fertile soil in the area left by the river and the massive
groundwater table. Take a picture of you standing at the location
with your GPSr with the barn to the south in the background. Take a
waypoint of the exact location in your GPSr.
4. Seeing the channel from the three above points, estimate the
distance of the river channel prior to the cut-off (including the
bend) and the new channel distance including the current course of
the river.
5. What is the scientific term for this type of fertile area?
6. Email me the following information: The estimate of the width of
the channel, your elevation at the second point, the length
calculations, and the answer to question 5. With your log, post all
three pictures of you with your GPSr.
Please enjoy this area learning about the Missouri River's Liberty
Bend!
*Information provided by Corps of Engineers Kansas City
division
Additional Hints
(No hints available.)