Abandoned Stream Channel at 'Come de Cerf' EarthCache
Abandoned Stream Channel at 'Come de Cerf'
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This is as close to the confluence you can get without crossing onto private property. There is a channel from the Platte River to the Elkhorn River at this spot; mankind has changed its general apperance.
The Platte River is mostly a classic wide and shallow braided stream and drains one of the most arid areas of the Great Plains and thus its flow is considerably lower than rivers of comparable length in North America. During pioneer days, the common humorous description was that the Platte was "a mile wide at the mouth, but only six inches deep." 49ers said it was "too thick to drink, too thin to plow".
The Elkhorn River originates in the lush hay meadow land in the north-central counties of Holt and Rock and ends near Gretna at the confluence with the Platte River. Flows vary considerably along its entire length depending on snow melt, rainfall and irrigation demand.
The Lewis and Clark Expedition encountered the Elkhorn River near its confluence with the Platte River, and referred to it as the 'Corne de Cerf'. A translation of corne de cerf, is elks horn, given the branching characteristic of the nearby river The Mormons used the area south of the coordinates as another Winter Quarters on the movement west.
The general shorelines of both rivers vary depending on flooding conditions from snow melt north of here and from heavy rainfall. This area is considered part of the Riparian zones of the Riverine Wetlands. These wetlands are very closely associated with the floodplains of all the state’s rivers and streams. They encompass wetlands, "Ox bows" (abandoned stream channels), sandbars, tree falls, side channels and wooded areas. To the west of the coordinates, you shall see how stagnant this particular abandoned stream channel has become. There are algae on the water surface due to the lack of water movement. At the coordinates is a channel from the Platte flowing into the Elkhorn, and it’s been covered for travel access into the southernmost portion of land at the point of the confluence. As you travel south towards the coordinates, look over to the east and catch glimpses of the banks of the Elkhorn River. The cut banks show the alluvial geomorphology revealing where the river has cut down into the Paleozoic and Mesozoic bedrock.
The drive on a maintained gravel road to the earth cache takes you in between the two rivers through lush trees, corn fields and sandy areas. In an area west of the drive is an area easily distinguished on topographic maps and is the lower end of Todd Valley, an area where the ancient Platte occupied before the river shifted to its present course.
In order to claim this as a find, you must:
1. State how fast (or slow) the stream is flowing into the Elkhorn River. Give your best scientific guesstimate and explain how you came about your answer. If it is safe to assess the water flow on the east, position a member of your group with a stopwatch or watch with a second hand and pace off 10 feet toward the Elk Horn River. Throw a small stick or leaf into the channel of water and have the stopwatch started, when the floating item passes, stop the stopwatch and calculate the feet per second. Do not post your answer here.
2. Explain why the section to the west is called an oxbow.
3. Report what number and letter is underneath the “Winter Quarters Camp” sign.
4. Post a photo of an area of interest to you at or near this earth cache, with a short explanation of why it caught your attention.
You will not need to wait for a response to log the cache online, however, logs not meeting all of the requirements within a reasonable time frame will be deleted.
Additional Hints
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