A Grand Oxbow Earthcache EarthCache
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Welcome to the largest Oxbow river in Ontario. The Grand River is a Canadian Heritage River.
Warning:
Rivers can change a lot with rains where you are travelling as well as rains up streams that may have missed that area. I would suggest checking the flow charts on grandriver.ca or more specifically
www.grandriver.ca/index/document.cfm?Sec=2&Sub1=6&Sub2=5
A river flows at different speeds at different parts of the rivers length. As the topography drops fast along its edges of the river so does the river causing fast water, rapids and even waterfalls. On the other extreme when the topography is very flat the water flow meanders from side to side finding the path of least resistance. This side to side is the beginning of an oxbow. As time goes on this side to side motion will get wider.
The fastest flow of a river is generally centered between the rivers banks. When the river corners the fastest flow takes the outside edge of the turn. This means greater erosion along that bank removing whatever is there and carrying it down stream. At the same time on the inside of the corner the water slows because there is less of it therefore allowing it to deposit soil, rocks and debris that it was carrying down stream.
Here is a simple experiment to see how a river acts. This is best done outdoors or in a bath tube or laundry sink. Take a cookie sheet and flip it over. Turn on a tap real slow (the slower the better) as long as there is a steady stream of water. Now let the water flow down the length of the cookie sheet. Change the angle of the sheet to more level. See how it starts to zigzag? Ok now clean up your mess and lets get back to the Earthcache.
To log this cache you will have to answer the following questions:
1) What is the length of the oxbow from the bridge at Erie Ave. to the take out at N43 06.018 W80 14.469? (I realize there will be a bit of difference between answers because you are looking for caches along the way.)
2) Mark the spot across from the put in at Erie Ave. then give me the distance from there to the closest spot at the other side of the oxbow found near N43 06.356 W80 14.381. How many Metres apart are these 2 spots?
3)At N43 08.459 W80 11.949 describe the shoreline area 1M above and below the water line?
4)At N43 07.778 W80 11.915 descried what is naturally different about this part of the shoreline compared to the area all around here on both sides of the river?
5)What is the elevation change of the water from the Erie Ave. bridge to the take out at N43 06.018 W80 14.469?
After you have answered the questions please send me your answers. Please feel free to log as a find after that. I will review your answers and if there is a problem I will contact you.
Have fun. Be Safe and enjoy nature.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
CSQf fnir yvirf naq gurl nera'g whfg sbe xvqf.