Welcome to Guthrie Lake and the Drought on the Shores of Guthrie Lake Earthcache!
Guthrie Lake is located 1.5 miles west of I-35 on West Seward Road and one mile north on Coltrane Road/West Lake Road. The lake has NO entry fee, restricted pet permissions, and varying hours of use depending on the time of year. A link to the rules published by the City of Guthrie and hours of use are provided below to assist Geocachers with planning their adventure!
Rules for Guthrie Lake as published by the City of Guthrie may be located here: https://www.cityofguthrie.com/254/Lake-Rules-and-Regulations
Day Use Hours of Operation:
- Summer (April 1st to Sept. 30th): 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
- Winter (October 1st to March 31st): 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
OVERVIEW:
Droughts occur when there is a period of period of abnormally low rainfall and prolonged evaporation, and Oklahoma has been a victim of a drought for the past several years. The drought has had significant impacts across Oklahoma's lakes and ponds as a drought in lakes directly affects aquatic habitats by lowering water levels, reducing the area of wetland ecosystems, increasing water temperatures, and adversely affecting the lake's structural stability. This leads to habitat loss for fish and other aquatic organisms and decreased water quality due to higher concentrations of pollutants. These surrounding terrestrial habitats may also suffer as reduced water availability impacts plant and animal species dependent on the lake's resources. As we continue to adapt to an ever-changing environment, understanding the impact of droughts on our lake's is crucial for developing effective management and mitigation strategies critical to mitigating long-term consequences.
Below are more in-depth explanations of drought outcomes and shoreline damage assessment information that will be required to answer questions to complete all logging requirements. Let us dive in and review eight (8) shoreline damage assessment questions needed to answer the logging requirements. The drought outcomes and explanations are:
- Loss of Aquatic Habitat: Lower water levels reduce the surface area and depth of lakes, diminishing the available habitat for fish and other aquatic organisms and disrupting breeding and feeding patterns.
- Decreased Water Quality: Concentrations of pollutants and nutrients can increase as water volume decreases, leading to eutrophication, harmful algal blooms, and a decline in oxygen levels, which can harm aquatic life.
- Intensified Sunlight: In times of drought, bodies of water become shallower and shrink, allowing more sunlight to reach depths never reached before. As the lack of rainfall continues, less runoff enters the lake, and organic matter settles, leading to a more precise water column. Increased sunlight can further accelerate photosynthesis and catalyze the rapid growth of nuisance plants and algae.
- Increased Water Temperature: Shallow waters heat up more quickly, leading to higher temperatures that can stress or kill temperature-sensitive species and exacerbate water quality issues.
- Reduced Biodiversity: Drought conditions significantly reduce biodiversity in lakes by lowering water levels, which shrinks habitats and increases competition for resources among aquatic species. Additionally, higher water temperatures and decreased oxygen levels can further stress or eliminate sensitive species, leading to a less diverse and more fragile ecosystem as species unable to adapt to these changes may perish or migrate.
- Impacts on Human Water Supply: Lower lake levels can affect water availability for drinking, irrigation, and industrial use, leading to shortages and increased competition for limited resources.
- Economic Consequences: Recreational activities such as boating, fishing, and tourism may suffer, leading to economic losses for communities dependent on lake-based tourism and recreation.
- Vulnerable Shorelines: Drought negatively impacts lake shorelines by causing significant erosion and loss of shoreline vegetation. As water levels drop, previously submerged areas become exposed, making them vulnerable to wind and wave action that can erode the soil. Additionally, the lack of water can lead to the death of vegetation that stabilizes the shoreline, further accelerating erosion and negatively affecting the habitat for wildlife and plant species dependent on this transition zone.
The impact on shorelines is significant, and personnel must do their part to safeguard our natural environment and work centers. As the "Vulnerable Shorelines" drought outcome above stated, drought harms existing shorelines through erosion and the loss of shoreline vegetation. A more specific breakdown of riprap shoring and non-riprap shoring is provided below for unit assessment and data reviews to assist personnel in completing the logging requirements.
DROUGHT IMPACT ON RIPRAP SHORING:
Drought can significantly impact the riprap shoring of lakes in several ways:
- Erosion and Stability: Lower water levels can expose riprap to more significant temperature fluctuations, wind, and wave action, increasing the risk of erosion and destabilization. When water levels drop, the protective function of the riprap is diminished, leading to potential erosion of the underlying soil and the riprap itself.
- Structural Integrity: Prolonged exposure of riprap to the air due to receding water levels can cause the material to weather and degrade faster than when submerged. This exposure can lead to cracks and fractures in the riprap, reducing its effectiveness in protecting the shoreline.
- Vegetation Growth: Drought conditions can promote the growth of vegetation on and around riprap as once-submerged areas become dry. This vegetation can displace riprap stones and disrupt the intended design, weakening the overall structure.
- Foundation Weakening: Lowering water levels can lead to drying and shrinking of the soil underlying the riprap. This can cause subsidence or settlement of the riprap structure, reducing its effectiveness and stability.
- Water Quality: Drought can reduce water quality by concentrating pollutants and reducing oxygen levels. Poor water quality can affect the riprap interstices' biotic community, impacting the riprap's ecological function as a habitat for aquatic organisms.
- Maintenance Challenges: As water levels drop, maintenance access to riprap structures can become more complex. This can delay necessary repairs and exacerbate the riprap's deterioration.
Overall, drought conditions significantly challenge the maintenance and effectiveness of riprap shoring in lakes. Proactive measures, such as regular inspections and timely repairs, are essential to mitigate these impacts and ensure the long-term stability of riprap structures.
DROUGHT IMPACT ON NON-RIPRAP SHORING:
Drought can also significantly impact the non-riprap shoring of lakes, including natural shorelines, bulkheads, seawalls, and other forms of shoreline stabilization. Here are some specific impacts:
- Erosion and Undermining: When water levels drop, natural shorelines and non-riprap shoring structures like bulkheads and seawalls can be more vulnerable to erosion. The exposed soil or structure may be more susceptible to wave action, wind erosion, and other erosive forces.
- Structural Damage: Prolonged drought can lead to the drying and shrinking of soils behind bulkheads and seawalls, causing them to crack or settle unevenly. This can lead to structural damage and compromise the effectiveness of these barriers in preventing erosion.
- Increased Exposure to Elements: Similar to riprap, non-riprap shoring structures that become exposed due to lower water levels can suffer from increased exposure to temperature fluctuations, freeze-thaw cycles, and other weathering processes, which can accelerate deterioration.
- Vegetation Stress: Drought can stress shoreline vegetation, crucial in stabilizing natural shorelines. Vegetation loss can lead to increased erosion and reduced the shoreline's natural resilience against wave action and runoff.
- Soil Compaction and Cracking: Dry conditions can cause soils to compact and crack, reducing their ability to support vegetation and increasing the likelihood of erosion. This is particularly problematic for natural shorelines where vegetation is a primary stabilizing factor.
- Sediment Transport: Lower water levels can alter sediment transport dynamics, potentially leading to increased sedimentation in certain areas and erosion in others. This can affect the stability and shape of the shoreline.
- Ecological Impacts: Drought can reduce habitat availability for aquatic and semi-aquatic organisms, which can impact the ecological balance of the lake shore. If keystone species are impacted, this can also affect the physical stability of the shoreline.
- Maintenance and Repair Challenges: Like riprap shoring, accessing and maintaining non-riprap shoring structures can become more challenging during drought conditions. This can delay necessary repairs and lead to further deterioration.
Overall, drought can have a wide range of adverse effects on lake non-riprap shoring, making it crucial to implement adaptive management practices and proactive maintenance to mitigate these impacts.
I hope you enjoyed learning more about how droughts negatively affect lakes and their shorelines, including both riprap and non-riprap areas. This knowledge and your observations should equip you to answer the questions required to log this Earthcache find!
Thank you for your time. Enjoy the lake and CACHE ON!
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PLEASE DO THE FOLLOWING TO RECEIVE CREDIT FOR THIS EARTHCACHE:
1. Copy the Earthcache questions and send your answers to those questions via Geocaching messages. Please DO NOT post the answers in your log.
2. Geocachers may submit answers for the group that participated in the finding. Please include who participated in the find in your log.
3. As with other Earthcaches in the area, each account claiming a find must complete the photo task. See acceptable Earthcache logging tasks effective June 10th, 2019.
4. Please provide your answers for the cache promptly, or it may be deleted to maintain the integrity of the Earthcache and its logging requirements.
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LOGGING TASKS:
1. Provide the name of this Earthcache at the beginning of your log: Drought on the Shores by of Guthrie Lake.
2. Provide a photo of you or your favorite geocaching item unique to your visit to the lake.
3. From the coordinates, describe the erosional differences observed from the coordinates where riprap is present and from the Southeast where riprap is not present. Has the drought affected both shorelines similarly?
4. Based on the posted coordinates and your observations, what is the estimated distance the drought has caused the original shoreline to recede to its current location?
5. Based on what you've read above and what you see, do you see evidence of shoreline damage that may be attributed to the recent drought? If yes, share your observation.