River Facts:
- The Little Patuxent River begins in Howard County near Alpha
Ridge, is joined by the Middle Patuxent near Savage, and continues
south to the Patuxent River near Crofton.
- The total length of the the Little Patuxent River is 45, 25 of
which is in Howard County.
- The median daily flow at Guilford is 44 cubic feet per
second.
- The greatest flow at Guilford was during Huricane Agnes in 1972
at 12,400 cubic feet per second.
- The average depth of the river at Guilford is 2.5 feet.
- The highest flooking at Guilford was 18.38 feet during
Hurricane Agnes.
What is a Watershed?
The total land area that catches rain and drains it to a specific
body of water is called a watershed. It is similar to a basin that
catches water, and then pours it into a larger basin. Each small
stream or tributary has its own watershed, which is part of a
larger watershed of a bigger body of water.
Nature, not man defines the boundaries of a watershed. This site is
part of the Little Patuxent River Watershed. This watershed is part
of the even Patuxent River Watershed, and that is part of the far
greater Chesapeake Bay Watershed.
Watersheds are important to the health of the body of water that
they supply, and that, in turn, affects the total
environment.
Everything that contaminates the water in a watershed can pollute
the river or lake at the end of its journey. A drop of water
falling in Guilford will find its way to the Chesapeake Bay.
What is the "Fall Line"?
As rivers flow from the higher Piedmont Plateau to the lower
Coastal Plain in Maryland, their descent creates many waterfalls
and rapids. This edge which generally follows I-95, has long been
called the Fall Line. It marks the point where upstream navigation
becomes difficult and the energy of the falling water can be
harnessed to power mills and factories. Often the water has carved
a narrow gorge through the harder rocks. Between Guilford and
Savage, the river drops nearly 60 feet.
To claim credit for this EarthCache, please send me the answers to
the following questions:
1) What is the origin of the word "Patuxent"?
2) What percentage of land on Earth is part of a watershed?
3) What did the fall line provide the mills?
4) What was quarried in Guildford starting in the 1830's?
5) Give a short description of this substance (as described on one
of the informational signs).
Finally, it would be very much appreciated, but NOT REQUIRED, for
you to take and upload with your log an image taken at a
recognizable location at the site which offers clear visual proof
of your visit. (Updated to comply with new rules set to take effect
on 1 JAN 11.)
Logging
Etiquette: Geocache hiders sometimes go through a great deal of
planning to place their caches. As a result, they'd like to hear
your feedback on whether you liked or disliked any aspect of the
hide, or if you feel that some cache maintenance is required.
Single word, acronym, or emoticon logs may be easier when you have
a lot of caches to log, but it doesn't tell the hider or other
finders anything about your adventure (or lack thereof) in finding
the cache. Please keep this in mind when entering your log.