Torreya—Waterfalls in Florida?
Florida is a state with very little elevation change. For that reason, waterfalls are a rare sight. Torreya Park is home to one such waterfall.
Waterfalls normally form by erosion, and this one is no different. The real difference is that normal areas of varied elevation either speed up the process or make the waterfall flow into a naturally eroded area over time. Florida’s limited elevation change makes this waterfall an oddity with its youthful erosion and the odd placement. The area where the falls occur has been eroded around a growing tree, so its root structure is exposed and can be plainly seen.
Waterfalls are commonly formed when a river or stream is young. At these times the channel is often narrow and deep. When the water courses over resistant areas, erosion happens slowly, while downstream the erosion occurs more rapidly. The differences in soil and rock areas can be seen at the site. As the watercourse increases its velocity at the edge of the waterfall, it plucks material from the riverbed. Whirlpools created in the turbulence as well as sand and stones carried by the watercourse increase the erosion capacity. This causes the waterfall to carve deeper into the bed and to recede upstream. The rate of water flow in this area varies significantly with the rainfall, which has caused varied erosion rates over time.
(Picture used from waterfallcreationdiagram.svg on Wikipedia, under creative commons attribution usage)
To receive credit for this earthcache, please estimate the height of the waterfall, and describe the amount of water running over the edge. Please e-mail me the answers and do not post in your log. Posting a picture is optional.
There is a $3 entrance fee for the park. Cache is placed with permission and support of the Park Manager. Park is open from 8 AM until sunset.