Indian Ford Earthcache EarthCache

This earthcache is located in a day use area of Jennings State Forest.  The fee is $2 and can be used at any of the day use areas throughout the forest on the day you pay for it. 

Jennings State Forest is home to the headwaters of Black Creek, The North Fork.  Due to a marked wet and dry season coupled with permeable soils and karst topography results in great extremes of flooding and drought in Florida. Flat land magnifies this problem. Human habitation has made Florida rich in roads, canals, and retention ponds, but poor in historic water flows. Management techniques to mirror ancient hydrological processes on JSF are nearly impossible on a landscape scale, because only a fraction of the North Fork of Black Creek Watershed is in ownership by the State of Florida. The North Fork of Black Creek and Yellow Water Creek bisect a large portion of this forest. Branches and seepage streams occur along these creeks. All of the watersheds within the forest feed Black Creek and eventually flow into the St. Johns River.

During times of flooding, the river can rise out of its banks.

At the posted cords, you will find a kiosk.  On the left post of the kiosk, you will see where the water level was during 3 floods. 

Question 1) In what years did the floodwaters reach the stage of 10'?

Question 2) Above the notation for the 10' floods, there is another mark.  The ranger could not mark the exact spot of the flood water and had to draw an arrow pointing up.  What was the level indicated on this mark?

STAGE 2 N30 06.637 W081 39.354 you will see a good representation of the flow of the creek. 

Question 3)  Estimate the flow rate at the time of your visit.

STAGE 3 N30 06.655 W081 39.354 This area is a beach/kayak launch area.  In early times, this was an area that settlers used to ford the river. 

Question 4) Estimate the width of the creek at the time of your visit.

Email me with the answers to claim credit for this cache.