Rockfish River Dam EarthCache
Hidden : 2/27/2012
Difficulty:
1.5 out of 5
Terrain:
1 out of 5

Size: Size: not chosen (not chosen)

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Geocache Description:

Rockfish River Dam Earthcache

The river.
The Rockfish River is a 28.7-mile-long (46.2 km) tributary of the James River in central Virginia. Via the James River, it is part of the watershed of Chesapeake Bay. The Rockfish River is formed in Nelson County, Virginia, by the merger of its North and South Forks, both of which rise in the Blue Ridge Mountains (a section of the larger Appalachian Mountain range) near the Blue Ridge Parkway. It flows generally in a southeastwardly direction.

History of the dam.
The Rockfish River Dam was constructed to provide power to the Alberene Soapstone Company (founded in 1883). Like all of Nelson County, Alberene Soapstone Company was hit hard by the Great Depression and though the factory struggled on (it is in operation today!), it - like the rest of the area - never really recovered. The railroad left and the area slid into a slow decline. Devastating hurricanes in the late 1960's; early 70's finished the fall from prosperity and the old dam sits now in picturesque ruin, a reminder of how things once were. On shore near the dam are remnants of the electricity generation station - Powerhouse Number One.

Geology of bedrock.
This area of central Virginia is known for it's composition of bedrock. Bedrock is the native consolidated rock underlying the surface of the Earth. Most bedrock beneath central Virginia formed as continents collided to form a supercontinent (Pangaea) between 300 million and 500 million years ago and raised the Appalachian Mountains. The bedrock of this region is predominantly comprised of igneous and metamorphic rocks. These rocks have layers of different colors in them and contain a lot of clay minerals. As these rocks erode (break down) they form the resulting soil on top of the bedrock.
Over time, the rivers in the area have exposed plenty of the underlying bedrock, which makes the area great for rock-gazers. At the dam, the increased water movement caused by the impact of the river spilling over the wall has created optimal conditions to expose the underlying bedrock.

Types of rock.
The three main types of rock are sedimentary, metamorphic, and igneous.
Sedimentary rocks are formed from particles of sand, shells, pebbles, and other fragments of material. Together, all these particles are called sediment. Gradually, the sediment accumulates in layers and hardens into rock. You can often see sand, pebbles, or stones in the rock, and it is usually the only type that contains fossils.
Metamorphic rocks are formed under the surface of the earth from the metamorphosis (change) that occurs due to intense heat and pressure (squeezing). The rocks that result from these processes often have ribbon-like layers and may have shiny crystals, formed by minerals growing slowly over time, on their surface.
Igneous rocks are formed when magma (molten rock deep within the earth) cools and hardens. Sometimes the magma cools inside the earth, and other times it erupts onto the surface from volcanoes (in this case, it is called lava). When lava cools very quickly, no crystals form and the rock looks shiny and glasslike. Sometimes gas bubbles are trapped in the rock during the cooling process, leaving tiny holes and spaces in the rock.

The posted coordinates provide an area on the side of the road to park your vehicle. In order to log this Earthcache, you must email Team Wiji (see profile for email) the answers to the following questions:

1. Observe the exposed bedrock which is visible in the tailwater section of the river; the area directly downstream from the dam.
a. Describe the physical appearance of the bedrock? What color(s) make up the exposed bedrock?
b. Based on your observations, would you classify this bedrock as IGNEOUS, METAMORPHIC, or SEDIMENTARY?

2. Using the dam as a reference point, estimate the width of the Rockfish River.

3. OPTIONAL - Take a photo of your GPSr or yourself/team with the Rockfish River Dam in the background. You may include this photo in your log.

++ Congratulations to fishercacher on the FTF!! ++

This cache placed and maintained by an Ontario Geocaching Association Member

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