This EarthCache is placed in a small Jefferson County park.
There is plenty of available parking and the terrain is level cut
grass. You will not have to venture more than 400 feet from your
vehicle unless you wish to meander over to the slide. Park hours
are sunrise to sunset. Each year the park may be closed for much of
March through May due to the Rock river which frequently
floods the park, so please plan your visit accordingly. Please do
not enter if the automatic gate is closed.
Please note that as this is an EarthCache there is NO container
to be found. There are requirements detailed below that must be
completed in order to log this cache. Failure to complete these
tasks may result in deletion of your log without notice.
Meanders
Simply stated, a meander is a bend in a river. A stream or river
flowing through a wide valley or flat plain will tend to form a
meandering course as it erodes and deposits sediments along its
travels. The result is a snaking pattern as the stream flows back
and forth across its floodplain.
A term known as a Meander Ratio quantifies how much a river or
stream meanders (how much its course deviates from the shortest
possible path). It is calculated as the length of the stream
divided by the length of the valley. A perfectly straight river
would have a meander ratio of 1 (it would be the same length as its
valley); the higher this ratio is above 1, the more the river
meanders.
Sinuosity Index is the measure of meandering of a stream - when
the index is between 1 to 1.3 the river is sinuous, but if the
sinuosity index is greater than 1.3 then the river is said to be
meandering.
Oxbows
As erosion is greater on the outside of a river bend where
velocity is greatest, you will often see tree roots exposed as the
current sweeps away their soil. On the inner edge of a river bend
you will more often see layers of sediment accumulate as the river,
moving slowly, cannot carry its sediment load further down
stream.
Because the faster moving current on the outside bend has more
erosive ability, the meander tends to grow in the direction of the
outside bend. When another outside bend is close by very often the
two bends erode towards each other. When these two meanders reach
each other a new straighter river channel is created and an
abandoned meander loop, called a cut-off, is formed. When sediments
finally seal off the cut-off from the river channel, an oxbow lake
is formed.
|
|
|
This meander is cut off forming an oxbow
lake |
Kanow Park
Below you will see topographic and aerial views of Kanow Park,
as you can see the Rock River meanders around three sides of it.
The water level here in the spring rises dramatically as does the
speed at which the river flows thus hastening the process of
erosion. Not visible from the park but clearly shown on the maps
below is an example of an oxbow.
* To claim this EarthCache *
#1. Take a
picture of yourself AND your GPS (or your GPS alone) in front of
the pavilion and UPLOAD it with your "Found It Log."
E-MAIL ME the answers to the
following questions (DO NOT post the answers in your
log)
#2.
Estimate the width of the river at
the given coordinates.
#3.
Is there sediment accumulation here,
if so on which side of the river bend (East or West)?
#4. If you visit
in winter tell me IF there were to be sediment here which side of
the river would it be on?
#5.
Are there exposed roots on the fast
side of the river?
(DO
NOT GO ON THE ICE).
Permission for this cache has been
given by Joe Nehmer, Jefferson County Park Director.