Confluence of the Kentucky and the Dix
The Confluence
Photo by Ammosuperman
Confluence Defined
A confluence is the point where two separate bodies of water
come together. This may be a stream joining another stream or
river, a river joining a lake, or it can be any combination of two
or more. The two rivers coming together, visible from these
coordinates make up the confluence of the Kentucky and Dix
Rivers.
The Kentucky River
The Kentucky River is a tributary of the Ohio River, and the
confluence of these two occurs in the north-central part of the
state, at Carrollton Ky. It is made up of three major tributaries,
the North, Middle, and South Forks which come together near
Beattyville, in Lee County.
The river itself is approximately 259 miles long and drains much
of the state. It flows from the coal mining regions in the
southeast and travels roughly northwest, draining the Bluegrass
region and finally the north-central part of the state. This body
of water is responsible for creating the Kentucky Palisades
(between Clay’s Ferry in Madison County and Frankfort in Franklin
County) by cutting down through the limestone and producing high
rock walls as it meanders on its journey northward.
The River drains much of the central part of the state and the
watershed is about 7,000 square miles from the Cumberland Mountains
to the Bluegrass Region. About one out of every six Kentuckians
gets their drinking water from this watershed. In fact there is a
pump station not far from these coordinates.
The Dix River
The Dix River is of course a tributary of the Kentucky River, as
we can see at this location. It begins in western Rockcastle County
near Mount Vernon and flows generally northwest. About two miles
from this location it is dammed up by the Dix Dam which forms
Herrington Lake.
The Kentucky Palisades in Fayette County,
Ky.
Photo by Ammosuperman
About ninety percent of the Dix River Watershed is farm land. As
with other parts of the Bluegrass Region, this watershed is
underlain with thick layers of limestone which is easily dissolved
by the slightly acidic waters. This region is rich with Karst
topography, forming many underground streams, caves, and one the
surface, sinkholes.
The Geology of the Region:
This region is rich with Karst topography, forming many
underground streams, caves, and one the surface, sinkholes. These
formations occur as the limestone is dissolved by the water. The
underground formations, which are abundant in most of the state,
are the result of groundwater seeping into the cracks of the
limestone and flowing as streams or underground rivers. As the eons
have passed the small cavities have become wider and deeper forming
caves and sometimes huge caverns. The most popular places to see
these are Mammoth Caves in the west/central part of the state, and
Carter Caves in Eastern Kentucky. But almost anywhere in the
Bluegrass Region you travel you can expect to be standing on or
near underground formations such as those mentioned above.
The Geology at this Location:
At this location we can look out and see that the land before us
has been greatly altered by erosional processes. The hills at the
time these rocks were formed did not exist, instead the land was
under a shallow sea. The horizontal layers of rock were added, one
at a time by sediments falling out of the slow or non-moving water
and settled to the bottom, forming layers of sediments which over
time hardened into rock by heat and pressure. Some of these layers
can be seen on the other side of the Kentucky River from this
location, or in the photo above.
In the millions of years since the limestone was formed, the
shallow sea receded leaving a relatively flat landscape, much
higher than we see today. The first rains after the land was
exposed would have begun to erode away the sediments, or
sedimentary rock forming small streams. These streams would have
joined other, larger streams eventually joining with newly formed
rivers. During this process hills and valleys began to take shape
and the water continued to wear away the sedimentary rock that took
so long to form. The land we see here is a result of the erosional
powers of flowing water.
Qualifications for credit:
To get credit for the EarthCache, email the answers to the
following questions and then post a picture of you holding your
GPSr and confluence in the background when you log your find. Posts
with no pictures or without emailing the answers will be deleted.
If no picture is possible, for instance you dropped your camera off
the edge and it broke or the batteries died, let us know first and
we will work something out.
Questions:
1. What is a confluence?
2. What type of rock are the Palisades made of?
3. What is the website on the bottom of the sign at theses
coordinates?
Credits and Ammosuperman EarthCaches:
This EarthCache was created by a team of two Platinum EarthCache
Masters, Ammosuperman EarthCaches are a collaborative effort. We
have used resources such as the Internet and magazine articles as
well as personal experience in visiting the sites, as research
tools in its construction. Our goal is to learn more about our
planet and to pass along what we have learned to others having
similar interests. We hope you enjoy the experience.
Special thanks to Jessimine County Judge, William Neal
Cassidy and Ms. Kelly Wollums of the Jessimine County Parks for
allowing this EarthCache.
