The Antlered River
Questions to Answer in order to log this Earthcache. Send answers via Geocaching Profile Page.
1. According to the plaque was this the first or third river formed in Ontario after glaciation?
2. Using you GPS determine the elevation at the plaque. You will also have to determine the elevation at the mouth of the Thames River. What is the difference in elevation?
3. How would you describe the soil (till) conditions above and below London?
4. What man-made activities increased the chances for flooding?
5. The Thames had two very serious floods in London. From the cache description which flood was more severe?
6. Proceed to the Kensington (Dundas) Bridge to the north of the plaque. Can you determine which flood has the higher water level? This may be challenging but there is a difference. It might help to use the ledge as a reference.
On August 14th, 2000, the Thames River was designated a Canadian Heritage River in recognition of its human heritage, impact on the settlement of a major portion of southwestern Ontario and its unique natural areas.
The Thames River has a length of 273 kilometres (170 miles) and has a drainage basin of 5,825 km2.
At this location, which is at the ‘Forks of the Thames’, located next to the river and a bike/footpath, you will find (a plaque) describing the impact the river had on the area locally and in a broader perspective as well.
The Thames River originates with three sources and becomes what is known as the North, Middle and South branches of the Thames. The north branch and the south branch of the river meet at the ‘Forks of the Thames’ near downtown London, Ontario, while the middle branch flows into the south branch of the Thames near Putnam, Ontario.
Called Askunessippi (Anishinaabe language:Eshkani, ‘the antlered river”) by the Odawa and Ojibwas inhabitants, who together with the Neutrals, have lived in the area since before Europeans arrived. The river was later named after the River Thames in England by Lieutenant Governor John Graves Simcoe in 1793 after he and his party had traveled upriver to the forks of the Thames. His intention was to settle in the area and name this location as the capital of Upper Canada. As history.tells us this did not take place and York (Toronto) became the capital.
Much of the Thames is surrounded by deciduous Carolinian forests, although much of this forest has been removed to permit agriculture and other forms of development. Three separate dams are used to control the seasonal flooding this river could cause: Wildwood Dam near St. Mary’s on the north branch; Pittock Dam, on the south branch at Woodstock; and Fanshawe Dam on the north branch above London.
The North and South branches on the upper part of the river flow through valleys created during the retreat of the Wisconsin glacial period during the last ice age which occurred about 20,000 years ago. The glacier pushed soil and rock ahead of its advance, filling in older lakes and river systems. As the glacier melted it left huge deposits of gravel, sand and clay behind. These deposits now form the sub soils in the regions of the Thames watershed and are why you can see glacial drumlin hills in the Putnam/Ingersoll area and numerous gravel pits throughout the region including near London’s Fanshawe dam and elsewhere in the region and further south towards Lake Erie sand and clay soil conditions as this entire area was once under a large lake, with and several miles of icy glacial activity. A much larger river flowed here thousands of years ago and was filled in by the Wisconsin Glacier till and the resultant meltwaters later carved out what has become the Thames River of today.
From London the river flows southwestward to Lighthouse Cove situated in the southeast corner of Lake St. Clair, which has an elevation of 173 meters above sea level. The river passes through the cities of Woodstock, London and Chatham as well as smaller towns and villages.
The North and South branches meet at 'The Forks in downtown London. Downriver from London, the lower part of the river flows through a shallow plain of sand and clay, with an average depth of 4 feet (1.2 m). The lower Thames flows through Delaware, Chatham, Thamesville, as well as Chippewa and Oneida First Nation settlements. Tributaries of the Thames include the Avon River, Dingman Creek, Jeanettes Creek, McGregor Creek, Medway Creek, Pottersburg Creek, Stoney Creek, and Waubuno Creek
The river was the location of an important battle of the War of 1812. The Battle of the Thames (also known as the Battle of Moraviantown) was fought on October 5, 1813, between American General William Henry Harrison and British General Henry Proctor, along with Proctor's ally Tecumseh. Chief Tecumseh was killed in the battle.
On May 25, 1881, the river steamer "Victoria" capsized and sank downstream of London killing 182 passengers near what is now Greenway Park. This event became one of Canada's worst inland maritime disasters.
The Thames River has been a focus for human activity for centuries. Native peoples and the early European settlers relied on the river as a source of abundant resources and as a corridor for travelling through the forests that covered Southern Ontario. The first settlements along the river were small and transitory, but soon grew to take on a more permanent nature. As human activity near the water increased, it was affected more and more by the seasonal fluctuations of the Thames.
The normally placid Thames was periodically subject to severe flooding which disrupted the new communities built in the river's extensive floodplains. The first written account of flooding after European settlement on the Thames River dates from 1791 and floods of various levels were recorded regularly after that. However, because of the long time interval between severe floods, residents tended to forget the potential for flooding and built more in the floodplain than was wise. Other activities, such as clearing forests and draining wetlands, also increased the severity of floods.
In 1883, a severe flood on the Thames killed a dozen people in London and caused extensive damage. The 1883 flood helped identify the need to protect people and their properties from repeated flooding. In London, construction began on a system of dykes that would prevent future floods from inundating low-lying properties next to the river. This measure proved to be insufficient, though, when the worst flood ever recorded on the Thames hit in April of 1937 after 150 mm of rain in six days when the Thames reached its highest level resulting in 5 deaths with 1100 homes destroyed and $ 3,000,000 in damage.
The devastation left in the wake of this flood convinced many people that the only solution would be to construct a series of dams that, together with the dikes, would control floods and protect lives and property. In 1947, the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority was formed to respond to citizens' concerns about flood control. The UTRCA undertook a program of flood control, building a flood control system of dykes and a flood control forecasting system. Historically, the major floods in the upper Thames watershed have occurred from January to April; however, flooding is possible at any time of the year.
The devastation left in the wake of this flood convinced many people that the only solution would be to construct a series of dams that, together with the dikes, would control floods and protect lives and property. In 1947, the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority was formed to respond to citizens' concerns about flood control. The UTRCA undertook a program of flood control including building dykes and dams at strategic points along the river to protect populated area from future flooding as well as identifying flood plain lands and enacting regulations to prevent development of those flood plains with buildings allowing recreational parks, golf courses, etc. to be placed on the low lying lands of the river flood plain lands.
A The Lower Thames River Conservation Authority was established to undertake similar work and controls for the river below Delaware (west of London) to the mouth of the Thames River. While there are no dams situated on the river west (downstream) of London much flood plain mapping has been undertaken and development restrictions established, particularly from Chatham downstream to Lake St. Clair. In addition, many miles of dykes have been built on the Thames River from Chatham to the lowlands found at the river mouth at Lighthouse Cove. Dredging of the mouth of the river at Lighthouse Cove is undertaken and trees and other obstructions removed on a regular basis from the mouth of the river to allow the river’s waters and ice floes to flow into Lake St. Clair in an attempt to prevent ice jams at the mouth of the river in order to prevent flooding; as well as tugs being hired to break the ice at the mouth of the river and to help keep ice moving out into the lake in the spring.
The Thames River has been a focus for human activity for centuries. Native peoples and the early European settlers relied on the river as a source of abundant resources and as a corridor for travelling through the forests that covered Southern Ontario. The first settlements along the river were small and transitory, but soon grew to take on a more permanent nature. As human activity near the water increased, it was affected more and more by the seasonal fluctuations of the Thames.
The normally placid Thames was periodically subject to severe flooding which disrupted the new communities built in the river's extensive floodplains. The first written account of flooding after European settlement on the Thames River dates from 1791 and floods of various levels were recorded regularly after that. However, because of the long time interval between severe floods, residents tended to forget the potential for flooding and built more in the floodplain than was wise. Other activities, such as clearing forests and draining wetlands, also increased the severity of floods.
Spring floods are usually the result of major rainfall when the ground is saturated and/or snow melt. In all cases the watershed is usually saturated and any snow pack tends to be well ripened (very moist and quick to melt). Runoff is generally rapid, with major peaks occurring within a day of extreme temperatures or heavy rainfall. The highest flows are generally associated with major rainfall. Floods mainly due to melting snow tend to produce lower, more prolonged flows.
Floods at other times of the year (May to December) are the result of heavy rainfall and problems may be compounded by the lack of storage space in the flood control reservoirs. In addition, intense summer thunderstorms may produce localized flooding problems on smaller watercourses and areas drained by urban storm sewers.
References: "Thames Topics", Upper Thames River Conservation Authority; www.thamesriver.on.ca "Thames River Fact Sheet", Canadian Heritage rivers System "Thames Valley Trail Guide", Thames Valley Trail Association Archives - "London Free Press", London, Ontario