Looking at an aerial photos on Google Earth of the Black River, you can see several areas where the river meanders, especially on Fort Drum
A meander, in general, is a bend in a sinuous watercourse or river. A meander forms when moving water in a stream erodes the outer banks and widens its valley, and the inner part of the river has less energy and deposits silt. A stream of any volume may assume a meandering course, alternately eroding sediments from the outside of a bend and depositing them on the inside. The result is a snaking pattern as the stream meanders back and forth across its down-valley axis. When a meander gets cut off from the main stream, an oxbow lake forms. Over time meanders migrate downstream, sometimes in such a short time as to create civil engineering problems for local municipalities attempting to maintain stable roads and bridges.
The above is From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(definition of -Sinuous- having many curves, bends, or turns; winding:) a sinuous path.
From the listed coordinates, look to your left and you can see one of the sharp bends in the river.
These bends can also be considered a oxbow. A oxbow is a U-shaped bend in a river or stream, whether or not it is cut off from the mainstream.
From the picture you can see how this rivers banks have changed several times over the years. The river is continuously eroding sediments from the outside of a bend and depositing them on the inside. The low valley and soft soil in this area have allowed the river to move around in this area, ever changing its location you are now looking at. Your guess as to where it will be in a few hundred years would be as good as any I could give.
1. Take a photo of yourself along with your GPS at the posted coordinates with the river in the background. This is totally optional, but would be great if you did.
2. Calculate the flow rate in "Feet Per Second" for the Black river. This may be done by measuring a distance the river bank, by floating an object from your starting point to the ending point, and recording the time it takes the object to float the distance. Do the first test about 10 feet off from the shore. Once the "Distance" and "Time" are determined, calculate the "Feet Per Second". Part 2, Now take a branch and through it out as far as you can and calculate the flow rate , comparing the difference in the flow rate. Warning do not do this if the river is ragging. Safety is the first thing.
3. Standing at the posted coordinates, can you tell which side of the river is the deepest. South bank or the North Bank?
4. Even with the Water being dark. In the Summer you can sometimes see the bottom on the far side of the river. Tell me which side looks deeper from the erosion caused from the river cutting its way to the Lake.
5. : What is your estimate of the width of the river and the height of the nearside bank at this location.
Email me with your answers. Do not post this in your logs. Thanks The ClarkBowman Clan