Sauk-ssippi EarthCache
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In order to count this Earthcache as a find, you must complete the following tasks and email the answers to me.
1. Estimate the width of the Sauk River.
2. Estimate the width of the Mississippi River.
3. What is the pH level of the Sauk River?
4. What is the pH level of the Mississippi River.
5. What would explain the difference, if any at all, in the pH levels?
This Earthcache is located at the confluence of the Mississippi and Sauk Rivers. This location is popular among local fishers and also offers a boat launch. Enjoy!
In geological terms, a confluence is when two or more bodies of water meet up and continue on as one large body of water. Usually, this happens when a tributary joins its mother river. The most notable confluence in the St. Cloud area is the joining of the Sauk and Mississippi Rivers.
The Sauk River, a tributary of the Mississippi River, is about ninety miles long. The river originates from Lake Osakis in north central Minnesota and flows east before turning south and then eventually making another turn and continuing its journey to the northeast. As its course continues, the river begins to broaden its banks and deepen its valleys. Midway along its path, near Richmond, the river forms a “chain of lakes,” where more than eighty miles of continuous shoreline are encountered over a river length of less than eight miles. Near St. Cloud, the river gradient increases and a series of rapids occur until the river joins with the Mississippi on the north end of St. Cloud (where you are standing).
Numerous waterfowl can be seen in state-managed wildlife areas along the Sauk River. The marshy swampland in these areas that border the river is a prime habitat for a variety of waterfowl. Fish are a much less common site, however. This is largely due to the shallow depth of the river and the somewhat poor water quality.
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America at about 2320 miles long. The exact point of its source cannot be located because of the numerous small tributaries and marshy areas that drain into the Mississippi watershed. In 1832, Henry Schoolcraft identified Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota as the river’s source after making an expedition in 1820. Since then, Lake Itasca has largely been accepted as the source of the river. The Mississippi concludes its course ninety-five miles below New Orleans, Louisiana where it flows into the Gulf of Mexico. Along with its major tributary, the Missouri River, the Mississippi River is responsible for draining all or parts of thirty-one US states--stretching from the Rocky Mountains in the west to the Appalachian Mountains in the east. The Mississippi River is also the fourth longest river in the world and also the tenth most powerful.
NOT A LOGGING REQUIREMENT: Feel free to post pictures of your group at the area or the area itself - I love looking at the pictures.
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