This EarthCache was placed under the guidelines of the City of Minneapolis and is on public property. No physical cache has been placed. Please stay on the road right-a-way and off the adjoining private property. In order to log a find on this EarthCache read the cache page and send me the answers to the question below.
The Minnehana Falls are famous in Minneapolis and even visited by a sitting president (Johnson) when due to a drought, fire hydrant had to be opened upstream to bring the falls back to life. Things were not always as they are now, in fact the falls have moved to the current location in modern history (geologically speaking).
Our story begins during the ending phases of the last ice age some 10,000 years ago when melt waters from the Wisconsin Glacier flowing over Platteville Limestone cut a gorge in white St. Peters sandstone and created the falls. Over time erosion cut the channel upstream until main flow diverted cutting a new channel over the limestone where it is today leaving the west channel falls abandoned.
As you walk from Minnehaha Creek (waypoint 1) look at the creek here you can see where the old flow and current flow combined. Walking towards the EarthCache posted location (about 1000 yards north) you will be walking up the old creek bed which over time floods have filled in leaving only the flood banks on either side as you head north. If you continue up the hill to (waypoint 2) you can see where the old creek bed was.
In order to log this EarthCache, please complete the following and email your answer
- Standing at the cache site looking north, what do you see? (facing the tree line looking at where falls were).
- How wide is the old creek bed floodplain? (the width of the U-shaped glen below the man-made roadbed that enters the glen).
Bonus) Feel free to include a picture of yourself at the location, we always like to see people enjoying this EarthCache!
FTF - kokohawk from Brooklyn Park, MN
Bibliography
Geological Society of Minnesota placard erected in 1953
Minnehaha Park Lower Glen Development placard erected in 1969