A Part-time Stream in Asbury Woods EarthCache
A Part-time Stream in Asbury Woods
-
Difficulty:
-
-
Terrain:
-
Size: 
(other)
Please note Use of geocaching.com services is subject to the terms and conditions
in our disclaimer.
This earthcache is part of a series of earthcaches highlighting some of the unique and diverse environmental features of Asbury Woods.
IMPORTANT RULES - PLEASE READ
- Trails are open during daylight hours only. NO NIGHT CACHING!!!
- NO DOGS are permitted on the Nature Center trails.
- Stay on the trails to protect fragile plants and animals.
- No bicycles are permitted.
- Skis are not permitted on the Boardwalk Trail at the nature center at any time.
- Possession of alcoholic beverages is prohibited.
- NO LITTERING
A Little About Asbury Woods
Asbury Woods Nature Center is an educational facility of the Millcreek Township School District. The center is located in a unique and diverse environment, and it provides a wide variety of educational and recreational opportunities for visitors.
The Asbury Woods Nature Center is a state-of-the-art regional nature center with over 205 acres and 4.5 miles of hiking trails. The Center is free and open to the public year-round. Within the Asbury Woods Nature Center Exhibit Hall visitors of all ages enjoy native live animal habitats, a turtle pond, an amphitheater/program area, and a live honeybee hive exhibit – a favorite for many. All exhibits are designed to help visitors learn about native animals they might encounter on the Center’s trails or in their neighborhood.
The Center is open to the public seven days a week June 1 thru August 31, closed Mondays September 1 thru May 31. Trails are open dawn to dusk year around.
Background Information
Wikipedia defines a stream as a body of water with a current, confined within a bed and stream banks. Depending on its locale or certain characteristics, a stream may be referred to as a branch, brook, beck, burn, creek, crick, gill, kill, lick, rill, river, syke, bayou, rivulet, streamage, wash, run or runnel. Obviously, it could also be called a stream, which is the term that will be used here. Streams are very important for a variety of reasons. They are conduits for surface water as an integral part of the overall water cycle. They provide critical corridors for fish and wildlife migration, as well as homes for many varieties of fish and amphibians. Many streams provide a habitat for a wide range of plants and animals, and often have great biodiversity in their vicinity. The study of streams is referred to as surface hydrology. Northwest Pennsylvania has an abundance of streams. These streams range from medium sized rivers (such as the Allegheny) down to very small streams.
Streams are classified based on the flow characteristics of the stream. There are three types: perennial, intermittent and ephemeral. Perennial streams generally flow more than 90% of the time. The stream bed for a perennial stream is below the water table for most, if not all of the year. The primary source of water is groundwater, but it also carries storm water. Intermittent streams flow only during wet periods (usually 30 – 90% of the time), and they flow in well-defined channels. The stream bed for Intermittent streams is below the water table for wet parts of the year, but above the water table during much of the year. It is possible for the groundwater to drop below the main bed of the stream leaving isolated sections of the bed to remain below the groundwater level. This results in small pools during much of the year without any flowing water. The flow in the stream is often greatly enhanced by storm water. Ephemeral streams only flow during storms, and may or may not have well-defined channels. The stream bed for an ephemeral stream is always above the water table, so the primary source of water is storm runoff.
Perennial streams are the most common type of stream that you might notice. Figure 1 shows a typical, slow moving perennial stream. Of course, not all perennial stream look like this. They appear in all sizes, and many are much faster moving, perhaps even with rapids.
|
Figure 1 - Perennial Stream
|
Occasionally you might notice an intermittent stream bed. They are often small, and have distinct banks. Many times they are characterized by rocks along the bed. Figure 2 shows an example of this type of stream. At the time this picture was taken there was no water in the stream.
|
|
Figure 2 - Intermittent Stream
|
Ephemeral streams are the least likely ones for you to notice as you walk through the woods. They may be completely dry and overgrown at certain times of the year. Sometimes you will notice an area that looks like there had been water there, but does not have a well defined channel. Often after a storm these areas will be a little wetter than the surroundings, and often you can see animal footprints in the mud. Figure 3 shows an example of this kind of stream. There was no water in the area at the time the picture was taken, so it can be difficult to make out the path of the stream.
|
|
Figure 3 - Ephemeral Stream
|
During times that the stream is dry you may notice small pools at various locations along the stream. This would indicate that portions of this stream bed are below the water table. This is a characteristic of an intermittent stream, but not an ephemeral stream.
Importance of Intermittent and Ephemeral Streams
First and second order streams play an very important role in any watershed. A recent study in nearby Ohio found that a typical order 1 stream has a drainage area of less than one square mile. However, order 1 streams account for over 50% of the total miles of streams in the state. Add in order 2 streams and the percentage goes up to almost 77%. These order 1 and 2 streams are often ephemeral or intermittent streams. In 2006 the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency determined that between 57 and 69% of surface drinking water in Erie county came from intermittent, ephemeral, or headwater streams. A large percentage of headwater streams are intermittent or ephemeral, so most of these percentages are from those two types of streams.
Claiming This Cache
In order to claim this cache you will have to answer several questions. All of the answers can be found at the cache site. You may log the cache as soon as you visit the site. You must email your answers within a week of logging the cache, or the log will be deleted. I hope you enjoy your walk around the Asbury Nature Center.
Questions
- What was the weather like when you visited the site? (If possible, determine what the weather has been predominately like during the last week and the last month. This has a large impact on the amount of water flowing in the intermittent stream.
- What characteristics of the site would indicate that this is a stream bed?
- How would you characterize the flow in the stream during your visit?
- What is the general direction of the flow at the cache site (N, S, E or W)? If there is no flow it should be pretty easy to determine which way it would be flowing by the stream gradient.
- OPTIONAL - Photos are always nice.
References
Water Resources Research Institute of The University of North Carolina, “How do you indentify an intermittent stream?”, Annual Program, 2000-2001
Strahler, A.N., “Dynamic Basis of Geomorphology”, Geological Society American Bulletin, 63, 923-938, 1952
Ward, A, D’Ambrosio, J.L., Mecklenburg, D, “Stream Classification”, The Ohio State University Extension Fact Sheet – Agriculture and Natural Resouces, AEX-445-01, 2008
Wikipedia, “Stream”, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stream http://www.epa.gov/owow/wetlands/science/surface_drinking_water/pdfs/surface_drinking_water_pa.pdf
Additional Hints
(No hints available.)