Confluence of Ohio and Licking Rivers EarthCache
Hidden : 9/11/2009
Difficulty:
2 out of 5
Terrain:
2 out of 5

Size: Size: other (other)

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Geocache Description:



Confluence of the Ohio and Licking Rivers



The posted coordinates will take you to an overlook at General James Taylor Park at Newport, Kentucky (image above). There before you is the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers.

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The confluence of the Licking and Ohio Rivers as viewed from the 4th Street bridge pedway in Newport,KY.

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What is a CONFLUENCE?


Confluence, in geography, describes the meeting of two or more bodies of water. It usually refers to the point where a tributary joins a more major river, called the mainstem, when that major river is also the highest order stream in the drainage basin.

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The Licking River


The Licking River is a tributary of the Ohio River, approximately 320 mi long in northeastern Kentucky in the United States. The river and its tributaries drain much of the region of northeastern Kentucky between the watersheds of the Kentucky River to the west and the Big Sandy River to the east. The Licking River rises in the Cumberland Plateau of eastern Kentucky, in southeastern Magoffin County. It flows northwest in a highly meandering course past Salyersville and West Liberty. In Rowan County in the Daniel Boone National Forest it is impounded to form the large Cave Run Lake reservoir. Northwest of the reservoir it receives Fleming Creek approximately 8 mi northwest of Carlisle and flows across the Bluegrass region of northern Kentucky. It receives the North Fork from the east approximately 10 mi northwest of Mount Olivet and the South Fork from the south at Falmouth. It joins the Ohio opposite Cincinnati, Ohio, where it separates the cities of Covington and Newport.

The Ohio River


The Ohio River is the largest tributary by volume of the Mississippi River. It is approximately 981 miles long and is located in the eastern United States. The river had great significance in the history of the Native Americans. It was a primary transportation route during the westward expansion of the early U.S. It flows through or along the border of six states, and its watershed encompasses 14 states, including many of the states of the southeastern U.S.
The Ohio River is young from a geologic standpoint. The river formed on a piecemeal basis beginning between 2.5 and 3 million years ago. The earliest Ice Ages occurred at this time and dammed portions of north flowing rivers. The Teays River was the largest of these rivers, and the modern Ohio River flows within segments of the ancient Teays. The ancient rivers were rearranged or consumed by glaciers and lakes.
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Cincinnati skyline from the confluence

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To demonstrate the educational value of the Earthcache, email the answers to these three questions:


1. What is the larger of the two streams of a confluence called?
2. Determine FLOW RATES for the two rivers in feet per second (FPS). This may be accomplished by measuring a distance along each of the river banks, floating an object from your starting point to the ending point, and recording the time it takes the object to float the distance. Once the distance andtime are determined, calculate the FPS for each waterway. You may be surprised. If there is no current just say so and pass on this exercise.
3. At the base of the From Newport ironwork is an inscribed tile in the walkway (above center) which reads, 'The valleys, plains and salt licks of Kentucky have attracted human settlement for at least blank years'. How many?

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Please email your answers to me via my profile.


Please do not wait on a reply from me. FOUND IT logs which do not meet requirements (answer questions) will be quietly deleted.

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