The Tigris River & Saddam Hussein's Lakes EarthCache
Hidden : 2/17/2010
Difficulty:
1 out of 5
Terrain:
1 out of 5

Size: Size: not chosen (not chosen)

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Geocache Description:

This appears to be the first Earthcache to be placed in Iraq. It is located on the U.S. controlled Victory Base Complex (VBC) just outside of the Baghdad International Airport (BIAP).



This EarthCache will provide you knowledge of the Tigris River, however; as only mission essential personnel can go "outside the wire" to actually see the Tigris, this EarthCache will take you to the next best thing...one of Saddam Hussein's many lakes which are filled with water re-routed from the Tigris River. As such you will also be provided with some knowledge on these lakes. This particular lake is commonly known as Lost Lake.

GENERAL RULES FOR CACHING IN IRAQ: This EarthCache is located in a war zone. It is on a coalition controlled installation. You will need proper credentials to gain access to the area. Do not post logs that give any references to what is around the cache site or might otherwise compromise OPSEC.

Tigris River, is a river in south-western Asia, with the largest portion located mainly in Iraq. It begins as the Dicle River in the Kurdistan region in eastern Turkey and flows southeastward along part of the Turkish-Syrian border and then into Iraq. The river joins the Euphrates about 40 miles northwest of Basra to form the Shatt al Arab, which continues to the head of the Persian Gulf. The Tigris River is about 1,150 miles long. It is shorter than the Euphrates River, but is swifter, carries more water, and is commercially more important. The largest cities on its banks are Mosul and Baghdad, Iraq.

””<br

Due to Saddam Hussein's regime water-control projects water was scarce and plant-life sparse. The projects drained most of the inhabited marsh areas east of An Nasiriyah by drying up or diverting streams and rivers. Population of Shi'a Muslims were displaced. The destruction of the natural habitat posed serious threats to the area's wildlife populations. There were also inadequate supplies of potable water for the people living in the area.

In 1994, 60 percent of the wetlands were destroyed by Saddam Hussein's regime. Drained to permit military access and greater political control of the native Marsh Arabs. Canals, dykes and dams were built routing the water of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers around the marshes, instead of allowing water to move slowly through the marshland.

One of Saddam's more personal projects was having several lakes built in Baghdad to accompany several of his palaces. To fill these lakes water was re-routed from the Tigris River, causing a drought for the local farmers and a lack of potable water to the citizens of Baghdad. These lakes are located on what is currently Camp Victory and Camp Slayer on the VBC.

A lake (from Latin lacus) is a terrain feature (or physical feature), a body of liquid on the surface of a world that is localized to the bottom of basin and moves slowly, if it moves at all. Another definition is, a body of fresh or salt water of considerable size that is surrounded by land. On Earth a body of water is considered a lake when it is inland, not part of the ocean, is larger and deeper than a pond, and is fed by a river. In the case of Saddam's lakes, they are fed by the Tigris River via underground channels.

Natural lakes on Earth are generally found in mountainous areas, rift zones, and areas with ongoing or recent glaciation. Other lakes are found in endorheic basins or along the courses of mature rivers. In some parts of the world there are many lakes because of chaotic drainage patterns left over from the last Ice Age. All lakes are temporary over geologic time scales, as they will slowly fill in with sediments or spill out of the basin containing them.

This earthcache will take you to a lake which is classified as an artificial lake: A lake created by flooding land behind a dam, called an impoundment or reservoir, by deliberate human excavation, or by the flooding of an excavation incident to a mineral-extraction operation such as an open pit mine or quarry. This lake was created by deliberate human excavation. The soil/sand composition found in Iraq is of such that when it gets wet it actually turns into clay type substance, which actually does not absorb water. As such it naturally seals and prevents the lake water from absorbing into the earth.

HISTORICAL FACT: The Tigris River appears twice in the Bible. In the Book of Genesis, the Tigris is the third of the four rivers branching off the river issuing out of the Garden of Eden. Later Daniel received one of his visions "when I was by that great river the Tigris".



PICTURE OF THE TIGRIS RIVER TAKEN BY MUSTANG RIDER!!


The above coordinates will take you to my personal favorite of the Tigris River filled lakes. To claim this earthcache you need only to go to the east end of this lake and complete the following:

1) Send an email to Martin 5 with the answer to the following questions:

a) What is the approximate distance across the lake from east to west? North to south?

b) Describe the lake water. Is it clear, muddy, blue, green, etc?

c) Does the the lake water move slowly, fast or does it move at all?

d) Carefully remove some sediment from the lake bottom, from off shore. Describe it's composition in your own words.

2) List in your log any wildlife you see while at the lake.

3) Post a picture of yourself at the lake, keeping OPSEC in mind of course. I.E. Only have the lake as your background.

Have fun!!

””<br””<br””<br

Martin 5
Platinum Earthcache Master

PLEASE NOTE: IF YOU VISITED IRAQ/BAGHDAD/CAMP LIBERTY PRIOR TO THIS EARTHCACHE BEING PUBLISHED, YOUR VISIT WILL NOT COUNT AS HAVING COMPLETED THE LOGGING REQUIREMENTS FOR CLAIMING THIS EARTHCACHE AND YOUR LOG WILL BE DELETED. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COOPERATION!!

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