A FLAT-out GRAND Meeting EarthCache
Hidden : 3/18/2011
Difficulty:
1.5 out of 5
Terrain:
1.5 out of 5

Size: Size: other (other)

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Geocache Description:

This is an Earthcache dedicated to the Flat River and Grand River Confluence located in Lowell, Michigan. The coordinates will take you near the confluence itself and will be updated as soon as the water level recedes, allowing access to the point of the natural bank where these two rivers merge. For now, get as close as you can.

Confluence of two rivers:

A confluence is the meeting point of two or more bodies of water. In the case of rivers, it refers to the location where a tributary merges with a larger river, called the mainstream.
Concordance and Discordance:
The terms concordant and discordant refer to the beds of confluent rivers being equal in height or unequal in height respectively. Concordance and discordance influence both sedimentology of two rivers and the flow dynamics at the confluence. This information will be important to you.

The Flat River:

The Flat River flows through the counties of Montcalm, Ionia, and Kent. It originates in the Six Lakes area and is approximately 70 miles long.



A watershed is an area of land where surface water from rain or melting snow converges to one point, and the term interchangeable with "drainage basin." The Flat River watershed drains about 560 square miles as outlined in the image above.

The Flat River is rich in elements in both Indian and lumbering history. It also retains two of the remaining four original wooden covered bridges in Michigan. To view the full Flat River Plan posted by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, see my sources cited at the bottom of the page.

The Grand River:

The Grand River runs 225 navigable miles from Jackson through eight counties to it's mouth, Lake Michigan, at Grand Haven.



The Grand River watershed drains an area of 5,572 square miles and carries an average flow of 3,800 ft³/s in it's mainstream. Most of the basin is flat and contains many swamps and lakes. The river also has twelve main tributaries: The Flat being one of them. Throughout history, the Grand has been an important navigational route for the Lower Peninsula of Michigan. Both the Flat and the Grand have played their part in early fur trade in the area as well.

Logging Requirements:

To recieve credit for this Earthcache, you must complete the following requirements:

1) Go to the coordinates. Observe the confluence and note the clear line of the Flat River as it enters the Grand (line may be less apparent if water levels are high).
2) Post a photo of you (including your face) and your GPSr with waters of both the Grand and Flat Rivers in the background to your log.
(as per Earthcache Submittal Guideline 7, a photo is optional for earning credit for this cache. But please, I would still like to see your smiling faces!)
3) Also at this location, you must determine the flow rate** in "Feet per Second" of the Flat River. This may be done by measuring (bring a measuring tape) and marking a distance along the bank, then tossing in a leaf or twig upriver from your starting point. With a stop watch, time how long it takes your leaf to complete your measured distance course. Then calculate that into "Feet per Second."
Do not damage, destroy or harm property, vegetation or wildlife. Use what is available to you.
Then, move up the shore of the Flat River as close to N 42° 55.841' W 085° 20.300' as you can get given the water level. Do the same technique here and note any difference.
4) Hypothesize how the difference in flow rate you obtained affects the confluence. Also, do the riverbeds appear concordant or discordant and why? Email me through my profile both f/s readings, the difference, and the answers to the questions. Do NOT post your answers in your log, only photos. You may log your find at the same time you send your answers, and I do reserve the right to delete find logs that haven't emailed their answers. Each cacher claiming a find on this must submit answers individually from those in their group. Please try to send answers within 24 hours of logging the find online. Thanks.
5) Have Fun!

This cache was placed by an

** You are technically getting a reading for velocity. Determining the flow rate would require knowing the amount of water moving at the given velocity. We're just trying to keep things simple here, afterall.

Sources:
The Michigan DNR's website for The Flat River
The Flat River Plan (full version)
GVMC's page on the Regional Watershed Organization
Michigan DNR's document on EXISTING USES AND RECREATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES of the Flat River
Wikipedia.org: Flat River
Wikipedia.org: Grand River
River Confluences and the Fluvial Network, by André G. Roy, Bruce L. Rhoads
This is my first Earthcache and was inspired by Monjorgan's Rock-n-Mississippi (GC1FG4T).

Additional Hints (No hints available.)



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