This cache is located within Santa Fe River Preserve, a property managed by Alachua Conservation Trust. The preserve was estabilished in 2012 with a 96 acre purchase. Shortly after, another 90 acres was purchased by Alachua County. In 2015, 443 more acres were purchased and in 2017, nearly 300 more acres including 3.25 miles of riverfront property were added to the preserve.
This portion of Santa Fe River Preserve contains a 1.5 mile loop trail.
To claim credit for this earthcache, please submit the answers to the CO through the "Send a message" link on this page. Any logs not accompanied by answers will be deleted. If you are submitting answers for a group, please include the names of all of the cachers in the group.
An oxbow lake is formed when a river creates a meander due to erosion of the river bank. Over time, the meander becomes very curved and the neck of the meander narrows and eventually the river cuts through, creating an oxbow lake. These lakes have a u-shape and become a freestanding body of water, separate from the stream or river that created it.
A river or stream creates a meander as it reaches a low-lying, flatter area. Near areas of the bend deposition occurs on the convex bank (the bank with the smaller radius) and erosion occurs on the concave bank (the bank with the greater radius). The water flows more slowly on the inside of the loop causing silt and sediment to deposit while the water flows faster along the outside of the loop, causing erosion of the banks. When sufficient erosion occurs to break through, a new, straighter channel becomes the path of the river.
1) Is the area in front of you an oxbow lake/pond or a meander? What evidence do you see to support that?
2) Estimate the size of the meander (ie, how far does/did the stream bow out here)
3) Describe the evidence you see of deposition and erosion. Is any of it caused by people or does it appear to be natural?
4) Post any pictures that don't give away answers to the earthcache (OPTIONAL)
Sources:
www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxbow_lake
http://www.mbgnet.net/fresh/lakes/oxbow.htm