Metropolis Lake - A Natural Lake EarthCache
Metropolis Lake - A Natural Lake
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METROPOLIS LAKE A Natural Lake
A natural lake is a body of water lying in depressed ground without
direct connection with the sea. Lakes are common in formerly
glaciated regions, along the courses of slow rivers, and in low
land near the sea.
The main classifications are by origin: glacial lakes, formed by
glacial scouring; barrier lakes, formed by landslides and glacial
moraines; crater lakes, found in volcanoes; and tectonic lakes,
occurring in natural fissures.
Crater lakes form in the calderas of extinct volcanoes, for example
Crater Lake, Oregon. Subsidence of the roofs of limestone caves in
karst landscape exposes the subterranean stream network and
provides a cavity in which a lake can develop.
Tectonic lakes form during tectonic movement, as when a rift valley
is formed. Lake Tanganyika was created in conjunction with the East
African Great Rift Valley.
Glaciers produce several distinct types of lake, such as the lochs
of Scotland and the Great Lakes of North America.
Lakes are mainly freshwater, but salt and bitter lakes are found in
areas of low annual rainfall and little surface run-off, so that
the rate of evaporation exceeds the rate of inflow, allowing
mineral salts to accumulate. The Dead Sea has a salinity of about
250 parts per 1,000 and the Great Salt Lake in Utah has about 220
parts per 1,000. Salinity can also be caused by volcanic gases or
fluids, for example Lake Natron, Tanzania.
In the 20th century large artificial lakes were created in
connection with hydroelectric and other works. Some lakes have
become polluted as a result of human activity. Sometimes
eutrophication (a state of over nourishment) occurs, when
agricultural fertilizers leaching into lakes cause an explosion of
aquatic life, which then depletes the lake's oxygen supply until it
is no longer able to support life.
Metropolis Lake Nature Preserve in western McCracken County,
Kentucky is one of the most popular preserves in the nature
preserve system. Named for the 50-acre natural lake on the Ohio
River floodplain, the preserve provides 123 acres of important
habitat for rare species and recreational opportunities. The land
and 48 acres of the lake were purchased in 1984 by the Commission
with the help of The Nature Conservancy. TVA owns the westernmost
two acres of Metropolis Lake and the adjacent land. TVA has agreed
to help protect the natural integrity of the lake. Since 1984, the
Commission has worked with local citizens to maintain the delicate
balance between rare species protection and recreation use.
Metropolis Lake is one of the few remaining naturally formed bodies
of water in the state that has not been developed. Metropolis Lake
is spring fed and benefits from the flood waters of the Ohio
River.
At Metropolis Lake the noise from crowds of people have been
replaced by the calls of kingfishers echoing across the water as
the birds fly from tree to tree. The bald cypress and swamp tupelo
trees that have encircled the spring-fed lake for hundreds of years
stand as sentinels in the still waters. Ouachita map turtles and
red-eared sliders can be seen basking on fallen logs. A short trail
will take you through the preserve's uplands and along the
lakeshore eventually bringing you back to the parking lot.
The underlying geology here consists of quaternary alluvium but the
higher bluffs and slopes also contain wind-blown silt and clay
called loess. The basin lies parallel to the Ohio River and in
flood conditions the water level of the lake can reach the base of
the bluffs which covers the parking area with as much as ten feet
or more of flood water.
Due to the long history of use by local citizens fishing remains an
authorized activity. However, hunting, camping, picnicking and
trapping are not permitted in the preserve. In addition, the
preserve closes at dusk.
Qualifying log entries must include a picture of you holding your
GPSr with the lake or the large cypress trees in the background. To
demonstrate the educational value of the EartheCache, you must
email me the answers to the following questions:
1. Standing in the parking area facing the boat ramp and lake, what
man made object is visable to your left?
2. What river lies parallel to Metropolis Lake?
3. What two sources provide Metropolis Lake with its water?
4. What does the underlying geology consist of at the Metropolis
Lake Nature Preserve?
Congratulations to jcramsey on being the first to find my first
earthcache!
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