How To Claim The Smiley
To claim this Earthcache, please answer the following questions:
Refer to the information below and your surroundings as you answer these questions
- Take an elevation reading at the posted coordinates and as close to the stage 2 coordinates as you can get without entering the water. Provide the distance between these points and the difference in elevation between them.
- Describe the path of the levee to the west of the posted coordinates as it relates to Bird's Blue Hole Kolk Lake.
- Surmise the reason for the path of the levee described above
- If the levee is to the west and the Mississippi river to the east of this point, speculate on a natural periodic event that helps keep this lake filled and stocked with fish.
Kolk Lakes
Kolks are underwater vortices created when rapidly rushing water passes an underwater obstacle in boundary areas of high shear. These commonly occur around bridge pilings creating bridge scour, the erosion of soil around at the base of a bridge pier or abutments. They can occur where any obstacle causes the water to change its trajectory and form a vortex.
During periodic flooding events, the water and the debris it carries scour the surface of the earth and scoop out a large hole, often called a scour hole. This eventually results in breaching the levee.
After a breach, a kolk lake can sometimes remain after the water level recedes. It is much easier and less costly following a breach and the formation of a kolk lake, to rebuild the levee around the lake rather than to fill it in and rebuild in place.
Periodic flooding can help to maintain the kolk lake's water levels and to restock the lake with fish. The best fishing at Bird's Blue Hole is had immediately after a local Mississippi river flood stage ends.
