The River Geul and its divers life EarthCache
The River Geul and its divers life
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A beautiful view on the river Geul with its meandering image.
The Geul is a river in Belgium and the Netherlands. It is a right tributary to the river Meuse. The source of the Geul is near the German-Belgian border south of Aachen at approx. 300 m altitude. After approx. 20 km it flows into the Netherlands, and after 58 km it flows into the river Meuse, north of the city Maastricht.
The river Geul is one of the most important sources of heavy metal inflow into the river Meuse. This is caused by the former zinc and lead mining activities near the Belgian towns of Kelmis (La Calamine) and Plombières (formerly named Bleiberg). The last mines have closed early in the 20th century. One of the reasons for giving up mining activities in Plombières was the occasional flooding of the mine by the river Geul, as the bedrock (mainly Carboniferous limestone) contains many faults and fissures. Although the mine factory buildings have been demolished, old railway dikes are still abundantly present in the area. These provide ideal hiking routes, famous for the presence of the so-called "zinc flora" (including zinc-tolerant plants such as the yellow calamine violet, Viola calaminaria). In the trees around the river, mistletoe grows numerously.
At this location this type of fauna can be found. This particular spot is as well known for its fish ladder. Trout and salmon that swim upstream from the north sea and the river meusse will have no problem here to continue their journey.
The questions to answer:
1.) How far is this location EXACTLY from the entry into the meusse in meters? (no calculated answers)
2.) How far is this location EXACTLY from the source of the river in meters? (no calculated answers)
3.) How long has the nearby watermill been in operation in years?
Please take a picture of you and your gps from the bridge showing the fish ladder.
For bonus points place a picture of the zinc fauna that is abundantly around in spring and summer.
E-MAIL YOUR ANSWERS TO gc1q1mm@gmail.com! NOT VIA CONTACT THIS USER!!!
More information about the heavy metal deposits can be found at: http://www.cig.ensmp.fr/~iahs/redbooks/a184/iahs_184_0047.pdf
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Gur nafjre gb dhrfgvba bar naq gjb vf ba gur fvta, ab arrq gb pnyphyngr!!!