Mature rivers flow across wide river valleys and meander or snake across the flat plains. These meandering streams create large loop meanders that develop into oxbow lakes adjacent to the stream.
As a mature river begins to curve, it cuts and erodes into the outside of the curve and deposits sediment on the inside of the cure. This is due to the fact that the stream moves more rapidly on the outside of the curve and more slowly on the inside of the curve. Thus, as the erosion and deposition continues, the curve becomes larger and more circular.
Eventually, the loop of the curve reaches a diameter of approximately five times the width of the stream and the river begins to cut the loop off by eroding the neck of the loop. Eventually, the river breaks through at a cutoff and forms a new streambed.
Sediment is then deposited on the loop side of the stream, cutting off the loop from the stream entirely. This results in a crescent-shaped lake that looks exactly like an abandoned river meander. Such lakes are called oxbow lakes because they look like the bow part of the yoke used with teams of oxen.
Oxbow lakes are also known as billabongs in Australia and bayous in Louisiana.
Oxbow lakes may be formed when a river channel is straightened artificially to improve navigation or for flood alleviation.
This is the case with the Oxbow located just below the dam area at Grayson Lake.
When the Army Corps of Engineers were building the dam to impound the Little Sandy River, they rerouted a portion of the river below the dam into the spillway area you see
just to the South of the Oxbow. From the picture above you can see the classic oxbow left behind when the Little Sandy was rerouted. The area in the inside bow of the oxbow has been developed into a nice walking trail and wildlife watching area. There is a gravel trail that runs through the middle of the field and along the edge of the oxbow. From this trail you will be able to obtain all the information needed to complete this EarthCache.
In order to log this earth cache you must answer the following questions.
1. Take a short walk along the gravel trail to these coordinates. N 38 15.328 W 082 59.063 This will bring you to the area of the oxbow closest to the dam.
There are the remnants of a bridge at this location. You will see concrete steps on each side of the oxbow. How wide is the Oxbow at this location? A. 50 feet B. 100 Feet C. 150 feet
2. Shoot an elevation reading at this site.
3. Next walk to these coordinates N 38 15.386 W 082 59.275.
What do you see on the opposite side of the oxbow from here. Please describe as best you can.
4. Next walk to these coordinates N 38 15.316 W 082 59.340
This will bring you back close to your parked vehicle.
After walking from one end of the oxbow to the other, how long do you think the oxbow is? A. .1 mile B. .3 mile C. .5 mile. When giving this answer remember why this is called an Oxbow.
Answers should be emailed to Abe and Sarah and not posted in your log. Logs containing the answers will be deleted. Pictures are not required to log this find, but we would love to see them. Feel free to post a photo or two with your found log.
Parking is available in the gravel lot. Please don’t park along the road. You run the risk of ticketing or towing if you do so. Please, for your safety, do not attempt this EarthCache at night. You would not be able to answer all the questions after dark anyways.
We obtained all the information for this EarthCache from internet articles, books, and our own observations at the cache site.
Congratulations to Wintz50 and xXCashXx for the FTF!