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A PANORAMIC PERSPECTIVE EarthCache

Hidden : 4/9/2015
Difficulty:
3.5 out of 5
Terrain:
3 out of 5

Size: Size:   other (other)

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Geocache Description:

A PANORAMIC PERSPECTIVE

by Inuksuk in collaboration with the Lower Trent  Conservation

Equipment required: binoculars or a telephoto lens

 

Sometimes we need a PANORAMIC PERSPECTIVE to open our eyes to what is really going on.

To log this Earthcache, you will be required to visit 2 locations, the second within a half km of the lookout. Stage Two can be driven to by car and is wheelchair accessible. The posted co-ordinates (Stage 1), cannot be driven to and will require you to walk up to a lookout at the top of Mount Pelion in Trenton (Quinte West). From there you will be able to get a fantastic panoramic perspective on the ancient geological formations that contain the watershed, and identify ways that human development is changing the way natural geographic processes work. 

 

How to get to the Mount Pelion Lookout (the posted co-ordinates):

During the summer months you may be able to drive up Mount Pelion. Otherwise it is a short walk from two parking areas. Take your pick. Both parking spots have space for about 2-4 vehicles. The first is at the north end of Maclellan Avenue. The other parking area is at the north end of Dufferin Avenue by Dufferin Park. From the parking co-ordinates, you will walk up to the stone monument to read and collect the geological information about this mountain. After that, there are several flights of stairs to a lookout at the very top where you will make some observations and answer the rest of the questions.

 

Logging Requirements

Email the answers to the CO. Do not post answers in your log. Photos are encouraged, just try to avoid spoilers. Thanks. 

On your way up Mount Pelion, stop here :  N 44 06.136 W 077 35.062.

Here you will see a stone monument indicating the geological term for this mountain and how it was formed in ancient times. What is this geological formation called, and how was it formed? What is its elevation?

Stage # 1: Go up the stairs to the very top of the Lookout structure. At the posted co-ordinates:

1. Face north - What do you see? What have humans done to the landscape that could be affecting the watershed? Think about what this area looked like 1000 years ago. What does it look like today?

2. Face south - what is the predominant geographic feature in the south ?

3. Face west - what geologic features do you see that could affect the watershed and is this a negative or positive factor?

4. Face east - what is on the far horizon? You will need binoculars or a telephoto lens. You can also see the location of the next Stage from here.

5. Turn slowly 360 degrees. Look all around you. Estimate the ratio of the land in all four cardinal directions, that has been changed by human development, and conversely, what proportion is geographically unchanged?

6. Infer some negative impacts on the watershed from what you see and why it would be wise to conserve the ancient geologic features. (You can see these, mostly undisturbed, ancient geological features west of your current location).

7. Stage 2 : In the parking lot by the iron train bridge N 44 06.488 W 77 35.362. Observe the natural features and the signs of human development. There is an informative plaque in this location. Use the plaque to describe why it is important to conserve green space near the waterways.

Background Information The Bay of Quinte is one of the most picturesque bodies of water in Lake Ontario. Its shoreline stretches in a Z-shape from Trenton to Bath for almost 100 kilometers. The Bay's watershed is the largest in Southern Ontario, over 18,000 square kilometers, and includes lands drained by the Trent, Moira, and Napanee rivers and a host of smaller tributaries.

The panoramic view from the vantage point of the posted co-ordinates occupies part of an extensive limestone plain which makes up much of the lower reaches of the Trent River Valley and the Lower Trent River Watershed. Bedrock is generally found one to two feet below the surface and is composed of claystone (a limestone composed of clay-sized micrite particles). The bedrock in the Quinte Region is ancient Precambrian rock formed from molten lava, as well as sedimentary limestone deposited in the glacial sea beds. Understanding the configuration and properties of the bedrock is critical to many areas of our lives; construction and civil engineering, waste management, water and mineral resource extraction and much more. Without an understanding of the bedrock geology of our area there can be no assurance of a healthy environment or sustainable development.

Both groundwater and surface water (rivers, lakes, bays), in the lower Ontario watershed, are controlled by the geology of the region. The region is dominated by shallow soil over fractured limestone and Precambrian rocks of the Canadian Shield. Groundwater flows through the fractures in these rocks and is naturally filtered (cleaned) as it moves through the drumlins and green spaces.

Human activities have evolved around the land and water resources of this area. Towns and villages grew along rivers and shorelines because the water provided power for mills and transportation for goods. Mining, logging and agriculture dominated the landscape in the early days. Industries also began to develop in areas along the Bay of Quinte. Early clearing of the land for agricultural and forestry resulted in soil erosion and runoff. The result was a decline in water quality in the Bay of Quinte. Adding to this problem was insufficient waste water treatment and an ever increasing contamination of stormwater from the urban areas. Furthermore, many wetlands and shorelines were destroyed by human activities. All of this resulted in the Bay of Quinte becoming an Area of Concern and eventually led to the formation of the Remedial Action Plan for the bay.

Bay of Quinte Remedial Action Plan

The Bay of Quinte was designated an Area of Concern in 1985 under the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement between Canada and the United States.  Areas of Concern are communities, bays and rivers on the Great Lakes system where human activities have severely damaged the quality of the environment.  Currently, there are 10 such designated areas on the Canadian side of the Great Lakes, 26 in the United States, and five that are shared by both countries.  In each Area of Concern, government, community and industry partners are undertaking a coordinated effort to address the environmental challenges through a Remedial Action Plan. The Bay of Quinte Remedial Action Plan and its partners are, successfully, under-taking actions to rehabilitate the Bay.

Environmental concerns in the Bay of Quinte were due to excess nutrients, persistent toxic contamination, bacterial contamination and the loss or destruction of fish and wildlife habitat.

The Bay of Quinte is showing signs of recovery because of several factors. These include:

  • the work that the agricultural community is doing to establish buffer strips and reduce cattle access to watercourses

  • new or upgraded waste water plants being established

  • requirements for all new developments within the watershed to meet stringent stormwater criteria

  • efforts to naturalize shorelines

  • education programs raising awareness of water quality issues.

     

The Trenton Greenbelt Conservation Area was initially established in 1972. The project was a joint effort of Lower Trent Conservation and the City of Trenton for the purpose of rehabilitating the west bank of the Trent River to provide green space and recreational opportunities. Various parcels of land were purchased over a period of ten years (1972 to 1982). The Province of Ontario provided approximately half of the cost of the land acquisitions.

 

 

References:

www.ltc.on.ca

www.bqrap.ca

www.trentsourceprotection.on.ca

http://www.ltc.on.ca/img/watershed_full.jpg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bvZCdMecEo

DRAFT REPORT FOR CONSIDERATION OF THE QUINTE REGION SOURCE PROTECTION COMMITTEE

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Additional Hints (Decrypt)

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Decryption Key

A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M
-------------------------
N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z

(letter above equals below, and vice versa)