While performing the steps for this earthcache, please practice social distancing in order to help stop the spread of COVID-19.
Please read this before going any further!
You are about to perform an earthcache. There is no container for this cache. There are questions at the bottom of this page write up that need to be answered. You will need to go to Point State Park and perform these tasks and EMAIL or MESSAGE ME the answers to these questions. If I do not receive either or with your answers, your will WILL BE deleted. This is the only proof that I have you were actually there. Pictures DO NOT count as your answers. Do not post your answers in your log, not even if they are encrypted! Anyone can take a picture and post it and say they were there.
Pittsburgh and the Three Rivers:
Pittsburgh and its “Three Rivers” (Monongahela, Allegheny, and Ohio) have always gone hand and hand throughout its history. This area was once inhabited by Adena and Hopewell culture mound-builders at the site of present day McKees Rocks, marked by a mound that dates back over 1000 years. By the 1700s, various Iroquois Tribes used the area around present day Pittsburgh as hunting grounds. This confluence of the three rivers attracted the attention of both French and British explorers in the 1750s, as they were looking for routes to expand their land claims into North America. A group of 40 soldiers from the British colony of Virginia built Fort Prince George at the point where the three rivers meet in the spring of 1754. They held the point for only 2 months before a force of 500 French troops arrived. The British troops surrendered their small fort to the French without any bloodshed. The French destroyed Fort Prince George and build Fort Duquense. The French held the point for 4 years, from 1754 to 1758. In the fall of 1758, British General John Forbes led 5,000 soldiers across the wilderness of Pennsylvania to reclaim the Point and Western Pennsylvania for the British. In November 1758, the French burned Fort Duquense themselves sa they fled from Forbes' army. Forbes raised the British flag over the ruins of Fort Duquense on November 25, 1758. The British then built Fort Pitt on the present site of what is now Point State Park, named for the British Secretary of State - William Pitt the Elder, Earl of Chatham. The small village of Pittsborough grew around the fort.
The first British settlers began to mine coal along the Southside hills (which is now known as Mount Washington) in the 1760's. The regions rich natural resources, seams of bituminous coal, clay for pottery, sand for glass, iron and limestone used in pig iron and later steel, created Pittsburgh as an industrial power. The ease of transportation of both raw materials and finished good as well as the manufacturing of keelboats used to transport these goods made Pittsburgh the "Gateway to the West". The industrial era bloomed in Pittsburgh with the War of 1812. Worked turned from farming to manufacturing of iron, rope, and boats during this industrial era. This era continued into the Civil War, when Pittsburgh's iron factories were manufacturing warships, armor plate, and other materials for the Union Army. After the Civil War, glass factories flourished in the region.
By the end of the 1880s, steel mills lined the Monongahela River valley. Steel became one of the region's largest exported goods. Coal was brought into the steel mills via the rivers and railroad system, which followed these rivers, and finished steel products were shipped out. Steel production continued to dominate well into the 20th century. By the 1960's, steel production reached its peak and soon began to decline.
Today, Pittsburgh is still considered the country’s largest inland port as well as the world’s city with the most bridges. Coal is still shipped up and down the three rivers, but today other goods are shipped as well along the three rivers, such as petroleum products, and yes even road salt from Louisiana.
What is a confluence? A confluence is a meeting of two or more rivers or bodies of water to form one larger body of water. This is usually refereed to where a tributary flows into another body of water. The confluence in Pittsburgh is formed by the Allegheny River coming from the north, while the Monongahela River coming from the east.
What is a river? A river is natural flowing stream of water in a channel that flows towards an ocean, lake, sea, or another river. Where the river begins, this is called the source and where it ends at another body of water this is called the mouth. A river also gets it water from other creeks, streams, and smaller rivers that flow into the main stem and these are called tributaries. Where each of these tributaries met the main stem of the river, these are called confluences.
Information about the Allegheny River: 
The Allegheny River begins in North Central Pennsylvania in Potter County. The river flows in a generally west at first before turning north into New York state. The river re-enters Pennsylvania in Warren County and zigzags its way towards the southwest. When the river reaches Franklin, in Venango County, the river turns towards the southeast and flows towards Clarion County, where it will flow this way until it reach Kittanning in Armstrong County. At this point, the river flows south southwest towards Pittsburgh and its meet up with the Monongahela River. The Allegheny River is 325 miles long from source to mouth. The Allegheny River basin drains an approximate region of roughly 11,580 square miles, all of which is in New York and Pennsylvania.
Information about the Monongahela River: 
The Monongahela River begins in West Virginia at the confluence of West Fork River and Tygart Valley River in Fairmont, West Virginia. The river generally flows north, while zigzagging back and forth across southwest Pennsylvania. The Monongahela River is met up with 2 major tributaries, the Cheat River in Point Marion, Pennsylvania, and the Youghiogheny River in McKeesport, Pennsylvania. The Monongahela River is 130 miles long from its source to mouth. The Monongahela River basin drains at approximate region of roughly 7,340 square miles.
The Classroom Lesson: Now that you have learned the history of the area and know a little bit about the geography, its time to for some classroom work. Travel down to Point State Park and perform the tasks below. The park is open from sunrise to 11 PM, so please abide by these rules. In order to obtain your smiley, you must email me your answers to the questions below. Do not post them in your log. If you post your answers in your log, your find will be deleted. UPDATE: Because I have been receiving several logs on this earthcache and no answers sent in, I am now requesting that you email me your answers before logging this cache. You can send me your answers through the message system or through email. If I do not receive your answers, I will delete your find. I will attempt to reply to all answers within 24 hours of receiving them. This is the only proof that I have that you have been performed the tasks listed below. In order to complete your tasks, you will need a stop watch and 2 leaves.
Task 1: Starting at The Point, walk along the river walk along the Allegheny River for approximately 100’. Pick up a leaf, do not use garbage or a stick, and drop the leaf into the river. Using a stop watch, walk back along the river walk back to the point, while keeping an eye on your leaf. Once your leaf makes it past the point, stop your stop watch. You will then need to calculate the feet per second rate that your leaf traveled. You will do this by dividing the distance traveled (100’) by the time it took your object to travel that distance. Record your speed. Perform these same steps along the Monongahela River. Now compare the two speeds that you came up. Which river is flowing faster on the day that you visited The Point? In your best judgment, what is causing this particular river to flow faster then the other?
Task 2: While standing at the point, describe the conditions of the three rivers? Are they flowing fast or are they flowing slow? Do you see any debris floating in the water from where you stand? Does the water appear to be murky and muddy?
Task 3: What has the weather been like for the last 3 days for Pittsburgh? Also, what has the weather been for locations along the Allegheny River for the past 3 days? And what has the weather been for locations along the Monongahela River for the past 3 days? How has the weather conditions affected the flow of water along these rivers?
Task 4: And finally, what is the current height of the Ohio River at Pittsburgh? This can be obtained by going to http://water.weather.gov/ahps2/hydrograph.php?wfo=pbz&gage=pttp1
If you feel like it, post a picture of you or your GPS with one of the three rivers in the background but these pictures do not count as answers to the questions above.
This cache has been placed with permissions by Pennsylvania DCNR
