Historic Mississinewa River EarthCache

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Geocaching HQ Admin: It has now been over 30 days since Geocaching HQ submitted the disabled log below and, unfortunately, the cache owner has not posted an Owner maintenance log and re-enabled this geocache. As a result, we are now archiving this cache page.

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Hidden : 10/30/2009
Difficulty:
1.5 out of 5
Terrain:
2 out of 5

Size: Size: not chosen (not chosen)

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Geocache Description:

Parking is close at hand for this Earthcache. Many people fish this area. The terrain is not bad and should be able to be reached in all seasons.


MISSISSINEWA RIVER

A body of water that flows down a slope along a channel restricted by adjacent banks and levees is called a River. A River starts at a point called its source, and enters a sea or lake at its Mouth. Along its length it may be joined by smaller rivers called tributaries.

The Mississinewa River is such a tributary of the Wabash River, which is a tributary of the the Ohio River, which in turn is a tributary of the Mississippi river. The Mississippi empties in the Gulf of Mexico. The Mississinewa River’s source rises at Indiana’s eastern border in northwest Darke County, Ohio. It flows mostly on a westerly but also northwest course for a little over 100 miles before meeting the Wabash River just 2 miles east of Peru, Indiana. The drainage area of the Mississinewa occupies approximately 60 square miles. The river has an average fall of 3.3 feet per mile. It is one of the swiftest streams in Indiana.

The Mississinewa courses through Randolph and Delaware counties before turning northwest to then run through Grant, Wabash and finally emptying in the Wabash River in Miami County. In 1967, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers built a dam in Miami County to create Mississinewa Lake to control floods which were prominent in the area and south.

GEOLOGY OF THIS AREA

This geologic area is a part of the Silurian Period. This period started at the end of the Ordovician Period about 443 million years ago and ended at the begining of the Devonian Period about 416 million years ago. The Silurian is in the Last Glacial age and specifically known in this region as the Wisconsinan Glacial. The soil content is scientifically labeled as Argillaceous Dolomite. Better known as siltstone. Siltstone is a mixture of silt and clay. Silt is a granular organic material of grain size between sand and clay. The soil classification is mostly Blount and Pewamo. This soil type is listed as mostly level or gently sloping land, good for agriculture, pasture and woodland. It has poor drainage capacity. The reason for the developement of the Mississinewa reserviour is likely due to the poor water drainage of this soil type which created much flooding.

GEOGRAPHY OF THIS AREA

This stretch of the Mississinewa was choosen as the terrain is relatively easy to manage to perform the requirement tasks. An iron truss bridge crossing the river is at the site too. During the fall, the autumn colors here are outstanding. Also, nearby is an Artesian well which I believe the well's aquifer to be the Mississinewa River. This section of the Mississinewa has various winding turns to which the nearby road follows. This section's northern bank is much higher in slope than the coordinates on the southern bank. To the south lay acres of farm land. Due to the height differential of the banks, any flooding will undoubtedly flow southward should the river crest. Looking westward of the coords, one can see a small land penninsula formation. Perhaps with continued water erosin, this penninsula will eventually become an island. If you have time, bring your fishing pole. This stretch of river produces some excellent fishing for the likes of small mouth bass and catfish to name a couple. Enjoy this picturesque area of the Mississinewa River.

RIVER HISTORY AND BATTLE

The river was named by the Miami Indians and means “Falling Water.” The Mississinewa holds historical significance too. The Battle of the Mississinewa was fought near Marion, Indiana during the War of 1812. The British hired the Miami Indians to fight Americans during the War of 1812. William Henry Harrison commanded the Battle of The Mississinewa. This battle was significant in that it was the first American victory against the British. A reenactment of this battle occurs yearly in October at Marion, Indiana. In addition, the United States Navy had 2 oiler ships named the USS Mississinewa. The first was commissioned in 1944 and the second in 1955.

TO LOG THIS EARTHCACHE:

1. you will measure the rate of flow of the Mississinewa River at the listed coordinates. Do this by placing a leaf, or other floatable organic material into the river and time how long it takes to travel a known distance. Email the answer in terms of feet per second to me.

2. Post a picture of yourself with the nearby bridge in the background.


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