Earthcache at Ditch Pond Heritage Preserve
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The Heritage Preserve at Ditch Pond is open daily from dawn to
dusk. Please visit only during the posted open hours.
Carolina Bays are geologic formations of unknown origin found along
eight hundred miles of the Atlantic Coastal Plain.
Carolina Bays are found in Delaware, New Jersey, Maryland,
Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and northern
Florida from each state's fall line to the coast. However, the
largest concentrations are found in North Carolina and South
Carolina, thus the name Carolina Bays.
Carolina Bays are geomorphic features studied by geologists,
ecologists and biologists.
The Carolina bays are shallow, elliptical depressions and are
usually found in groups with each bay's long axes aligned in a
northwest to southeast direction. A sand ridge is
characteristically associated with these features and is most
visible along the southeastern edge. But, some Carolina Bays are
totally surrounded by a sand rim and some have no sandy rim
present. Carolina Bays show no obvious water inlet or outlet.
Carolina Bays range in size from only one to many thousands of
acres and vary in length from just a couple hundred yards to
several miles. Approximately 500,000 Carolina bays are present in
the Atlantic Coastal Plain. In South Carolina, it is estimated that
four thousand Carolina Bays are present. It should be noted that
presently most of the Carolina bays have been drained, plowed,
filled or paved by farmers and developers. Many bays have had their
trees harvested and their rich soils cultivated. In fact, more than
97 percent of the Carolina Bays once found in South Carolina have
been severely altered or destroyed. It is still possible in most of
these cases to view the outline of these bays from above. The rich
soil still remains much darker than the surrounding soils typical
of the Coastal Plain sandy soil. Of the four thousand Carolina Bays
only thirty six are still similar to their original, natural
condition. The Carolina Bay at Ditch Pond Heritage Preserve remains
in its unaltered and natural state.
The Carolina bays differ in vegetation depending upon the acreage,
depth and the hydrology-the movement, distribution, and quality of
water. Some Carolina bays are large open water basins with
scattered cypress. Some are palustrine wetlands with deep, acidic,
sandy, peat soils with vegetation growing on floating peat mats.
Still others exist as dry savannahs for all or parts of the year.
Carolina Bays are still mysterious because earth scientists are not
certain of the origin of Carolina Bays. Researchers believe the
Carolina Bays to be at least 30,000 years old. But, scientists have
yet to determine the age or origin of the Bays. Various theories
have been debated over the years. Common theories include
Pleistocene winds, artesian springs, eddies, the action of ocean
currents when the area was under the cool, deep sea that once
covered the area, the upwelling of ground water after the ocean
receded, meteorite showers, and once it was even considered that
the dinosaur footprints resulted in these unusual depressions.
The very first descriptions of Carolina Bays were made by John
Lawson in the early eighteenth century. Mr. Lawson, a naturalist,
called the bays pocosions, a Native American word that translates
into English as swamp on a hill. It was noticed that a variety of
bay trees grew within the pocosions and this led to the areas being
called bays.
Later, since most of the bays are concentrated in North and South
Carolina, the pocosions eventually became known as Carolina Bays.
Scientists of this time became interested in the Carolina Bays. It
was noticed that the bays were somewhat circular and that they were
raised above the surrounding area. But, it wasn't until aerial
photography in the middle 1930s became available that people really
began to realize the amazing features of the Carolina Bays. Then
theories on the origins of Carolina Bays began to be discussed.
The theory that the bays were the result of ancient meteorite
activity was very popular during the time the first photos were
available. However, there have been no extraterrestrial meteorite
fragments found on the earth surrounding the bays or under the
waters of the bays to account for this theory. Also, the craters
typical of meteorite activity are generally circular, not
elliptical as are the Carolina Bays.
Later, in the 1950s, it was theorized that the Carolina Bays are
the result of natural tidal eddies. This area of the Coastal Plain
was once covered by a cool, deep ocean. It was proposed that the
natural currents and swirling tides responded to the earth's
rotation and created the bays on this ancient Pleistocene
coastline. However, today's geologist have studied the current
coastline in order to see if such elliptical features are currently
forming and there is no evidence of such bays being created along
the coast today. Therefore, this theory fell from favor.
A more recent theory developed in the late 1970s that strong winds
from the west and the southwest during the Pleistocene era may have
helped to create bays aligned in a northwest to southeast
direction. This era was a time when ocean levels rose around the
world when glaciers melted and then the oceans dropped again when
the glaciers again formed. During this period lakes formed and were
influenced by the strong winds.
Today's earth scientists have developed a newer working theory.
However, geologists, ecologists and biologists continue to study
the Carolina Bays to gain a better understanding of the geological
formations, the relations and interactions between organisms and
the Carolina Bay environment and the science of life within the
Bays. The current theory is that a combination of processes created
the shapes and orientations of the ancient Carolina Bays, including
climate change, the formation of siliclastic karst by solution of
subsurface material during glacial sea level low stands and later
modification of these depressions by periodic eolian (pertaining to
sand or rock material carried or arranged by the wind) and
lacustrine (pertaining to lakes- formed at the bottom or along the
shore of lakes) processes over the past 70,000 to 100,000 years.
Also, Quaternary geologists and geomorphologists believe to have
found a correlation in time between when the active modification of
the rims of Carolina Bays most commonly occurred and when adjacent
sand dunes were active during the last glacial period which
occurred in the Pleistocene epoch which began about 110,000 years
ago and ended between 10,000 and 15,000 before the present time.
During this period there were several changes between glacier
advance and retreat. It has also been found that the directional
orientations of the Carolina Bays are consistent with the wind
patterns that existed during the time of the last glacial period.
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This earthcache brings you to Ditch Pond Heritage Preserve. The
preserve consists of 296 acres and contains a Carolina bay that was
first documented in 1973. The bay at Ditch Pond remains in its
natural state and has not been altered. As you know, intact and
unaltered Carolina bays are rare.
The preserve has approximately four miles of walking trails. From
the parking area, you may go right or left and walk around the
perimeter of the preserve or walk straight ahead to Ditch Pond.
There is no fee to enter the preserve. The preserve is open daily
from dawn to dusk.
Remember that only foot traffic is allowed beyond the parking area
and it is illegal to remove any plants or animals from the
preserve.
Directions: From Williston, drive west on US 78 for approximately
3.0 miles and the parking area is on the right.
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In order to log this earthcache as found you will need to email to
me your answers to the following questions.
1. What size (in acres) is the Bay at Ditch Pond? (Please
use the information found on the sign at the posted coordinates to
determine this answer. Other sources, such as the internet, differ
slightly from the information posted on-site.
2. The geology and ecology of the bay maintains eight rare plant
species. What are four of these eight rare plants?
3. Based on the depression depth, size, hydrology and subsurface,
Carolina bays have many different vegetative structures. What
type of forest is found at Ditch Pond Heritage Preserve?
4. You now know that Carolina bays differ in vegetation depending
upon the acreage, depth and hydrology. Some Carolina bays are large
open water basins with scattered cypress. Some are wetlands with
deep, acidic, sandy, peat soils with vegetation growing on floating
peat mats. Still others exist as dry savannahs for all or parts of
the year. Which of these types best describes this
bay?
5. From the observation deck, about a quarter of a mile down the
trail at N 33 25.103 - W 081 28.090, you will have a nice view of
the bay. If the deck were to continue and extend all the way
across the bay, would it cross over the major axis or the minor
axis of the ellipse? (An ellipse is an elongated oval shape
that has a major axis, running through the center from end to end
and a minor axis. The major axis is the long way across the
ellipse, while the minor axis is the short way.)
A photo of you and your GPSr is always appreciated as added proof
of your visit. If you have the ability to take and upload a photo
of you on the observation deck, please do so. If you do not have
that ability, please don't let that keep you from exploring the
Carolina Bay, learning a bit about earth science or logging this
earthcache.
I hope you have enjoyed learning about the Carolina Bay of Ditch
Pond Heritage Preserve. Remember to Leave No Trace of your visit,
take only memories, knowledge and photos and great practice outdoor
ethics. If at anytime, the actions of earthcachers/geocachers
begins to negatively impact the preserve, the permission to
earthcache/geocache at the preserve will be haulted.
Murphy, Carolyn. Carolina Rocks!. Orangeburg: Sandlapper
Publishing Co., Inc, 1995.
Congratulations to Gone2theDogs for being First
To Find.
As of April 11, 2009, I am adding this note
to all of my earthcache listings. I request that you email the
answers to me on the same day that you log your “found it” log.
(This does not have to be the day you visit, just the day you log
the find on the computer.) I also request that you do not log a
“found it” log unless you have actually visited the site of the
earthcache and sent the answers to me. As much as I hate to do so,
I will delete logs of finders who have not provided the appropriate
answers.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
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