The Maple River Watershed EarthCache

This cache has been archived.

HITECHTEAM: Time to let this one go.....it had a nice ride.

Hitechman & Hitechgal

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Hidden : 11/4/2008
Difficulty:
1 out of 5
Terrain:
1 out of 5

Size: Size: not chosen (not chosen)

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Geocache Description:



Note: The following description is long and will not completely load for paperless caching. Shortening the description would degrade the purpose of this EarthCache. It is your responsibility to make sure you have and understand the questions listed at the end of the description to correctly log a find.

Water is one of our most “natural” resources. Without it, there would be no life on earth. Hydrology has evolved as a science in response to the need to understand the complex water system of the earth and help solve water problems.

Hydrology is the science that encompasses the occurrence, distribution, movement and properties of the waters of the earth, and their relationship with the environment within each phase of the hydrologic cycle. The water cycle, or hydrologic cycle, is a continuous process by which water is purified by evaporation and transported from the earth's surface (including the oceans) to the atmosphere and back to the land and oceans. This includes all of the physical, chemical, and biological processes involving water as it travels its various paths in the atmosphere, over and beneath the earth's surface, and through growing plants.



This EarthCache will bring you to the USGS (United States Geolocial Survey) automated gauging station in Maple Rapids, Michigan (203 feet SW of the published USGS coordinates). This station monitors the water level and flow volume of the Maple River (and Pine Creek which terminates at the Maple River 70 feet downstream from this station). The USGS currently operates 166 of these stations on all rivers and some lakes in Michigan.


Pine Creek Joins The Maple River Near The Gauge.


The Maple River (named after the numerous sugar maples that populate its banks) was created over 10,000 years ago by the advance and retreat of the southern face of massive ice shields (glaciers) during the ice age. As the face of the shield advanced and retreated it removed surface material from the area, and exposed bedrock. This is a relatively unique geological circumstance. There are areas in the Maple River Watershed where streams used to flow in one direction and now flow another way, especially in the Stony Creek area. There are many new and old stream channels—these changes occurred after the glaciers were gone (within the last 10,000 years). The channel of the Maple River is extremely wide because the glacial end-moraines (high points) only formed the north and south borders. The geography of the Maple River watershed is diverse. It ranges from large, flat, swampland at the eastern headwaters, to areas of significant relief further down stream.

The Maple River sub-basin (or watershed) drains 604,226 acres in central Michigan along its 61-mile main channel length. The Maple River is composed of in excess of 16 subwatersheds. It is 1 of 6 tributaries of the much larger Grand River watershed.

The Maple River begins its journey (source) 8 miles SW of Owosso (Shiawassee County) and from Lake Ovid (Sleepy Hollow State Park, Clinton County). The river flows N-NW to about 3 miles south of Ashley (Gratiot County), then W-SW to its confluence (terminus) with the Grand River, 1 mile west of Muir (Ionia County).



The Maple River is the most unique river system in Michigan because the headwaters are off to the sides of the watershed, and it contains Michigan’s only remaining salt marsh (just east of Maple Rapids). 60-80% of flow into the Maple River comes from groundwater with the remainder from rain and other surface waters. The Maple River valley has lower groundwater elevations. The groundwater flow here is different from the surface water flow and doesn’t follow the same divides. The ground water flow into the Maple River watershed is much larger than the (surface) watershed. Because of the longer contact time in the aquifer, this water is generally more mineralized. The old Michigan Basin has deep saline water. Mammoths and mastodons came to this area for salt.

One factor that affects water flow and temperature of Maple River is the fact that the land drops less than 1 foot over a 20-mile flow in this area. During the low water, summer months the flow may be nonexistant or even retrograde (backwards).

A second factor affecting flow rate and temperature is that water is pumped from the river (about 8 miles upstream) to fill the wetlands in the Maple River State Game Area MilliAnder Floodings. Some of the water is returned to the river at a later date, when water levels in the wetlands are lowered. The Maple River State Game Area contains the largest contiguous wetland complex in mid-Michigan. It primarily consists of floodplain, lowlands, and marshes associated with the Maple River corridor. This habitat hosts thousands of ducks, geese, and swans as they stop over in these wetlands on their annual migration to northern breeding grounds. Great Blue Herons are extremely plentiful throughout the area, and 2 rookeries (nesting areas) are located in the area. There is also a fair probability of seeing bald eagles and osprey perched on dead snags in area wetlands.

Another factor that affects water flow and temperature in the Maple River are the many dams and impoundments in the Maple River Watershed. One dam (that remains) was constructed in Elsie. The original plan was to construct four such dams along the Maple River to control spring flooding. The Elsie Dam was so effective that plans for the remaining three dams were abandoned. Another dam was constructed, and still exists, in Hubbardston, on Fish Creek. That dam was originally developed to power a grain mill. Currently the dam provides some flood control value. A third dam was constructed on Pine Creek to create the Rainbow Lake impoundment in southwest Gratiot County, and is now developed with private residences. The dam that creates Lake Ovid, in the Sleepy Hollow State Park, was constructed as part of that recreation area. A fifth dam was constructed to form the Lake Victoria impoundment in SE Clinton County. Smaller dams, such as the one that controls the water level for Alward Lake in Clinton County, are not unusual. Over time, many other dams were created, used, and later eliminated. One such dam was created at Maple Rapids to power a grain mill, raise the stream water level about four feet, and allow steam boat traffic between Maple Rapids and Bridgeville—both the dam and Bridgeville are now part of history.

Surface water from rain and melting snow, move quickly, and flash, down thorough the watershed, creating problems related to sediment and erosion. In the late 1960’s many dredging, dike construction, and channel straightening projects were implemented to appease the farmers, who complained of spring and fall flooding preventing planting and harvesting of crops. These projects have changed the course and nature of the river over the years. Prior to that effort, much of the area was wet, swampy lowland—ideal for hunting and gathering. Most of the original watershed is now dry land used for farming.

The Indians and early settlers used a well-established cross-state water travel route that runs from Saginaw Bay in the east, up the Bad River system, to the Maple River system, south and west down the Grand River to Lake Michigan. The State of Michigan allocated funds and initiated the construction of a canal to connect the Bad River system with the Maple River system so that there could be a shorter travel-trade route across the state that would be usable by more and larger boats. The project was abandoned, but the evidence is still clearly available in the form of the partially dug canal located in Gratiot County.

In the agricultural areas of the watershed there are about 1,800 farms, which are sources of non-point pollution. Non-point source pollution occurs when a pollutant such as pathogens (manure), nutrients, or sediment ends up in the drains, streams, and river at nonspecific points and at irregular occurrences. Examples of non-point source pollution include fertilizers on lawns or crops that get washed into streams during rain events, soil from agricultural fields that erodes and washes into drains, and oil and salt on city streets that get washed into storm water drains and carried into rivers. The land use within the Maple River watershed is as follows: 80.9% Agricultural, 12.8% Forested Uplands, 4.5% Wetlands, .9% Developed and .8% Water.

The application of modern agricultural conservation practices (like CRP), greatly reduce the amount and transport of sediment in the flowing water, and erosion along its length has been declining in recent years. Suspended and deposited sediments can greatly reduce water quality.

A big thank you to David Dominic (MDNR Wildlife Unit Supervisor- South Central Management Unit) and Scott Whitcomb (MDNR Land Specialist), for allowing the placement of this ‘virtual” EarthCache on a State Game Area (container caches are not allowed by law on State Game Areas).

I would also like to thank the "Friends of The Maple River". Much of the information used in the write-up of this EarthCache came from written reports, records and histories authored and maintained by FOTMR on their website HERE .

This cache will be reviewed in 1 year. Any negative land impacts as a result of this EarthCache, especially along the fragile riverbank ecosystem, will cause this cache to be archived as per the request of the MDNR. As always, please CITO and leave no trace of your visit.





Platinum EarthCache Master


BE CAREFUL—Watch your footing, as the clay soil can be very slippery.


To log your visit you must (no exceptions to these requirements will be made):

1) Make an estimate as to the width (in feet) of the river at the gauging station.

2) Record the elevation at the coordinates.

3) Describe the clarity of the water on the day of your visit. Why do you think it is like this today?

4) Estimate the river flow speed (descriptive as opposed to a numerical value), and state why you think the Maple River is “flowing like it is” at this location at the time of your visit.

5a) Measure the depth of the river from the bridge at 5 equidistant locations using a SETI disk (string with a weight on the end). E-mail us the answers to this describing the specific location of each depth reading and the respective depth.
OR

5b) Take (and post with your log) a picture near the coordinates clearly showing some aspect of the geology of the river at this site. You do not have to include you/your team or the station in the photo, but feel free to do so.

Each cacher/log must E-mail me the answers to questions 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5a (unless a photo is posted with your log), or your log will be deleted--do not post the answers in your log entry.

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

Guvf pnpur fubhyq or jvagre sevraqyl. Cnexvat vf ninvynoyr nybat gur ebnqjnl arne gur tnhtvat fgngvba.

Decryption Key

A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M
-------------------------
N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z

(letter above equals below, and vice versa)


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