Lumber Industry
Cork pine, the best variety of white pine, grew in abundance along the mighty Cass River and was in high demand. These trees of the forest grew to a height of 150 feet, often with diameters exceeding three feet. The wood was light and strong and easy to work with. Millions of board feet were marketed all over the world, especially in America's prairie states.
With the forests depleted, Vassar developed a diversified economy that is still evident today in agriculture, manufacturing, and commercial business. The rich history has helped Vassar earn its popular nickname that is known around the state-the Cork Pine City.
The Lesson:
A river's bank is the sloping ground that borders the watercourse and confines the water in the natural channel when the water level, or flow, is normal.
An undercut bank is a river bank that has been eroded by moving water at its base, creating an overhang. Undercut banks can be a hazard to boaters and can cause fatalities.
Causes
Undercut banks can be caused by a number of factors, including:
A migrating low-flow channel
Frequent high-velocity in-bank flows
Exposure of a weak soil layer
Changing catchment hydrology
Removal of lower bank vegetation
Risks
Undercut banks can be dangerous because they can be hard to see from above. They can also be a site of entrapment, and trees can topple into the water.
A steep bank is a slope that rises at a sharp angle, making it difficult to climb, usually more than thirty degrees. Steep banks can be found in various settings, such as hills and built-up areas.
The steep slope will increase the number and speed of runoff so that erosion will be accelerated due to more transported and dissolved materials. Steeper slope will enhance the flow resulting a bigger power and amount of water to transport the soil.
The loss of vegetation and disruption of natural drainage patterns brought about by development on steep slopes can cause erosion problems leading to potential flooding, stream sedimentation, and slope instability.
A gradual slope is a landform that rises or descends at a gentle, even inclination. The word "gradual" means something happens slowly, in small stages, or bit by bit. For example, you might describe a hill as gradual if it seems to slowly rise, and you might not even realize you're walking up it. This slope is thirty degrees or less.
Bank grading
Reduces the steepness of the bank slope to decrease erosion. This can be done by grading the top or toe of the slope.
Vegetation
Native plants can be used to stabilize graded banks. They can hold soil in place, absorb energy from storm waves, and intercept runoff.
Riprap
Broken rock, boulders, or cobbles can be placed on the bank face. However, riprap can only be used on gradual slopes because the rocks can slide down steeper banks.
Live branches
A mattress can be formed by placing live branches in a trench, shingling the layers, and tying them to stakes. The mattress can then be covered with earth or stream material.
To Log This Cache:
1) What type of bank is displayed here? Explain your answer.
2) Looking at the river, what way is it flowing, left or right?
3) How steep does the river bank seem?
4) Take a pic or group at ground zero. If you do not want to be in the pic, take an original pic.