Moorhead Flood Control EarthCache
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This EarthCache is at the coordinates above, which will take you to the western end of Fourth Street South and a plaque on a stand. Hi folks, the top plaque is missing. Luckily the top plaque is not needed to complete this EarthCache.
To record a Find for this EarthCache send me the answers to the following questions.
1) What is the elevation reading near the marker at the posted coordinates?
2) At what flood stage, or river level, does the river reach the elevation of the marker?
3) One side of the Red River is North Dakota, the other side is Minnesota. In the past the two states have fought over how high dikes can be along the river. Why would Minnesota be concerned about the elevation of dikes in North Dakota?
4) What is the last name mentioned in the second line of the bottom plaque?
Flooding of a stream or river that goes beyond the banks carries silt and other sediment over the floodplain or the low land alongside the river. When the water leaves the main river it slows down. The slower water is not able to carry as much sediment and some of the material falls to the bottom of the water column and is deposited on the floodplain. Years of flooding will leave years of sediment. The build-up of sediment causes natural levees or extra embankments to form along the river. In addition to levees forming naturally, levees are often built as a form of flood protection.
When you get to the coordinates listed above you will find yourself by a marker on top of a levee that was constructed as part of a flood protection project. Use your GPSr to find the elevation of the marker.
If the Red River of the North flowed from north to south it would take away the water of winters snow and ice as they melted in the spring. The thaw would start in the southern end of the Red River valley and water would drain south as the thaw moved north. But water flows downhill and for the Red River that means the water goes north. The spring thaw does start in the southern end of the valley, but as the water from melting snow and ice flows north it moves into areas where the river’s flow is slowed by the ice that has formed during the winter. This results in flooding.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey the bed of the Red River between Moorhead, MN and Fargo N.D. is 861.8 feet above sea level. The National Weather Service flood stage for the Red River in Moorhead is 18 feet. At 18 feet the Red is still in its banks. The river is said to be in major flood stage at 30 feet. In 2009 the Red set a record with a crest, or high point, of 40.82 feet in Moorhead.
While not a requirement for logging a Find, photos of the river and you or your caching group would be appreciated.
References
Press, Frank & Siever, Raymone (1993). Understanding Earth. New York: W. H. Freeman and Company.
U.S. Geological Survey web page http://nd.water.usgs.gov/floodtracking/charts/05054000.html
Congratulations to StarDoc on his First to Find!
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