Hale Lake is an abandoned meander (Oxbow Lake) of Big Creek, a tributary of the mighty Brazos River. Two additional oxbow lakes are in the park. Both of these lakes can be viewed from N 29 22.746 W 95 36.648. These lakes are much older and are at different stages in the life cycle of a lake. There is a informational sign at that location. It is worth it to make the hike over to this location, to find out more about oxbow lakes.
The following is a description of how an oxbow lake forms:
When a river reaches a low lying plain, it begins to meander widely. Over time, the water flowing in a stream wants to take the easiest path to its destination. This is called the path of least resistance. Unfortunately, landforms usually present an obstacle to the water flow. However, the flow of water, being a very powerful and persistent force, and tends to eat away at the soils lining the outer banks (cut bank), while depositing sediment near the inner banks (point bar). The water in the stream flows are slightly differing velocities, especially in the bends of the river. On the inner bend, the water velocity is slower, and heavier sediment suspended in the water may be deposited here. The outer bank water velocity is faster and will pick up sediment and carry it away. The continuous erosion of the outer bank and the deposition of sediment on the inner bank lends to the formation of a pronounced meander loop. Occasionally, the erosion will eat through the thinnest part of the loop and create a shorter path for the river. The meander loop is now abandoned and the oxbow lake is formed. Once the oxbow lake is formed, only occasion deposition happens when the nearby river floods, or during water runoff from the surrounding land.
In the case of Hale Lake and the other oxbow lakes at Brazos Bend State Park, the geology of the region plays a large part in their formation. This section of Big Creek and the Brazos River wind through predominantly low, wet, marshy coastal plain area of the Gulf Coast. This area, being about 50 miles from the Gulf Coast, is nearly flat and most of the soil is poorly drained sands and clays. The river here is normally slow moving, with times of more rapid waters during flood stage. At the location where you are standing, during times of low water, you can see the cliff of the outer bend in the horseshoe(cut bank), and the sandbar at the inner bend of the horseshoe(point bar).
The 3 oxbow lakes in the park, are at different stages of development. Hale Lake is the youngest, and still has plenty of water in the lake, with grasses and trees only visible on the land. It still has a very defined point bar and cut bank. Of the other two oxbow lakes, the one furtherest from Big Creek is much older, and has almost filled with sediment, marshy foliage, and a good stand of oak, yaupon, and other water loving trees. These older oxbow lakes, now primarily a marsh ecosystem, are also home to the American Alligators, that live in the park. As with any lakes, many types of wildlife exist here; snakes, alligators, turtles, feral pigs, fish, birds, deer, rabbits, and armadillos, just to name a few.
The diagram below illustrates the process.
Logging Requirements:
Now, you have learned what makes an oxbow lake. Here are the logging requirements.
To log this cache, you must do these things.
1. (No Longer Required) Take a picture of yourself, with your GPSr, with your back to the river. See if you can get the gazebo in the picture. The gazebo is on the far bank from where you are standing. Please post this picture with your log.
2. Email me with the answer to these questions? If the pier is not accessible, then use your best guess for questions a and b.
a. How many paces does it take to go from one end of the pier to the other end? A pace is 2 steps. Please do not post this is your log.
b. Estimate the width across the river. Estimate how far below the pier is the water level?
c. Is the pier on the cut bank side, or the point bar side of the river?