Pigeon Forge, TN Watershed EarthCache EarthCache
Pigeon Forge, TN Watershed EarthCache
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A watershed can be defined as the entire land area that ultimately drains into a particular watercourse or body of water. Watersheds can be many different shapes or sizes. Everyone lives in a watershed.
In March 2008, Tennessee launched a program to increase public awareness of the state’s 55 watersheds and their importance to water quality, recreation and the environment. Working with the Department of Environment and Conservation, the Tennessee Department of Transportation erected 187 watershed-awareness signs at key entry points along Tennessee’s highways. With their simple green-and-white logo identifying the approaching watershed, and a friendly exhortation to “Help Keep It Clean,” these signs are encouraging countless citizens to be aware of their local watershed and do their part to protect it. “A Guide to Traveling Tennessee’s Watersheds” was developed by state agencies as a companion to these signs. This guide provides maps and brief descriptions of each of Tennessee’s distinctive watershed basins.
The Tennessee River rolls along almost 650 miles, passing through three states and draining parts of four others, before eventually emptying into the Ohio River at Paducah, Kentucky. The Upper Tennessee River Basin includes roughly 200 river miles in East Tennessee, from the confluence of the Holston and French Broad rivers on the east side of Knoxville, to where the river crosses into northern Alabama just west of Chattanooga.
A Guide to Traveling Tennessee's Watersheds
When Reed2ME visited Pigeon Forge, TN we saw postcards of the water wheel at The Old Mill where the water ran beautiful and clear. That was not the case while we were there. The water was a muddy brown. As you stand looking at the water for this EarthCache, think about the watershed around you, just within your view, what drains into it? During your travels, watch for the watershed-awareness signs. We saw quite a few in our travels which resulted in doing the research that created this EarthCache.
Please send your answers to the following questions to claim your find of this cache:
1. At the coordinates, what is the name the body of water you have located?
2. Looking around, name three environmental hazards that impact the water source. Be specific, not "run off" but run off from what and where? Not tourists, but how the increase of people has changed the watershed. Consider how visitors treat the area vs. people that live and work in the area.
3. The Old Mill, 3341 Old Mill St Pigeon Forge, TN "is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and just as in the 19th century, it's still one of the most popular places in the Smokies and one of the most photographed mills in the country." "The Old Mill even furnished electricity for the town until 1935." Look around you at how electricity is provided today. How does this change impact the watershed?
4. Looking at the Related Web Page, which of the watersheds does this location belong to?
5. "Tennessee refers to watersheds by their proper name as well as by a grouping of numbers. This set of numbers is called the watershed's Hydrologic Unit Code, or HUC. The HUC can range from 2 to 16 digits long, more digits indicating a smaller and smaller portion of the watershed is represented." What is the HUC of this watershed? Hint: Locate the correct map and the number is in ( ).
Bonus: How many watershed-awareness signs did you see in your travels? Reed2ME saw quite a few, however, they were off highways and not group photo friendly for stopping for a picture.
Thank you for visiting the Pigeon Forge, TN Watershed EarthCache!
Additional Hints
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