Spring Question

[+Konnarock Kid & Marge]

Hey folks,

I have a serious question.

I love springs and we have several that were approved as ECs and I know of other interesting spots but I am tired of the same old questions. Here is a short list of the typical questions: temperature of spring, volume of the flow of the spring, direction of flow, elevation at spring site, type of spring perennial, etc.,

etc. I would love to have some suggestions for new and different 'educational' questions that could be used at spring sites. Thanks.

P.S. Please, I am not interested in snarky comments from those who have never developed an EC or from those who wish ECs would be transferred to Waymarking! Thanks for all constructive advise.

Edited July 31, 2009 by Konnarock Kid & Marge

[+Ashallond]

Well, you could have them also do a bit of research and see where it flows into, estimate how big of a watershed the runoff also drains, date of discovery?

 

That's all I can think of but then again, I don't work with streams that often.

[+Konnarock Kid & Marge]

Well, you could have them also do a bit of research and see where it flows into, estimate how big of a watershed the runoff also drains, date of discovery?

 

That's all I can think of but then again, I don't work with streams that often.

Thanks, that's helpful. Any more ideas out there?

[+GEO WALKER]

Boy this is a tough one… Is there any chance that there may be mineralization? Here in SW PA, coal mining has provided the dominant a orange or milky white color to stream and springs. Perhaps there may be a local historical reference to enjoying “healthy waters” or a Spa?

If so, ask the cacher for their interpretation of the importance/non-importance of the health benefits and why is there a historical significance? This may be purely subjective but it does get the cacher thinking and involved.

[+Konnarock Kid & Marge]

Boy this is a tough one… Is there any chance that there may be mineralization? Here in SW PA, coal mining has provided the dominant a orange or milky white color to stream and springs. Perhaps there may be a local historical reference to enjoying “healthy waters” or a Spa?

If so, ask the cacher for their interpretation of the importance/non-importance of the health benefits and why is there a historical significance? This may be purely subjective but it does get the cacher thinking and involved.

Thanks again. Most all of the springs that I have gotten approved are crystal clear and potable. There are a couple which I don't know much regarding the history but you have given me an idea. I wonder if there are any cheap water testing methods that could be used. I know heavy iron saturated water precipitates the iron out to the bottom of a container. This could be done with ease and reviewed the next day. I sound like I am grasping at straws and I guess I am! Are there any other easy mineralization tests?

[+Neos 1]

Ooops wrong account! See below, please.

Edited August 1, 2009 by Neos 1

[Neos2]

(OOOPS--this is Neos2. I just realize I posted on Neos 1's account).

 

Two things to say...

 

1) If you think springs getting redundant, why not look for something different in the area?

 

You'll learn more, other folks will learn more, and your area won't run the risk of becoming a bad joke about EarthCaches. I've seen areas where there are too many of one (good) thing.

 

2) Go for more interactive learning activities, instead of "answering questions":

 

How fancy do you want to get? You could have folks:

 

Tie the spring to the geology of the area and to art--have them sketch their understanding of what causes the spring to form in that area and post their art work.

 

Compare two nearby springs to see how the slope affects flow rate.

 

Have them tell discuss why they think the EarthCache site is a spring vs an artesian well vs pond

 

Conduct a pH test (It's cheap to get the sticks from a pool supply or drugstore or online, but they would have to plan ahead) and

 

Check the clarity of the water (More info here). They can make their own secchi disk, or if your site is somewhere with a helpful ranger, etc, you could leave one on site for them to borrow. You can save money by making your own secchi disk

 

Compare the pH of the water to a nearby above ground source, or tap water, or rainwater (pH of rain water runs about 6.2....They can even make their own test strips homemade pH test strips)

 

They could have crystal growing fun and check for the presence of lots of minerals. Have them use water from the site to grow crystals using materials found around the average home, and see if the results match crystals grown from purified water.

 

If you wanted to get really fancy --(and a bit expensive at about $7- $10) you could have people test for water quality:

Chlorination/Over-chlorination (produces by-products like chloroform a known carcinogen).

Nitrates (from fertilizers, sewage, etc)

Iron - stains

Water Hardness (causes scaling and buildup over 125ppm, harms lead pipes under 54ppm)

Water Acidity (pH) under 7 corrodes plumbing, causes lead leaching

 

It takes less than 5 minutes to test all five things, and it's done by adding chemicals and spring water to a small bottle and shaking them, then looking at a chart. If you had a way for folks to meet up with you/ranger to get a part of the test, you could make it an on-going and repeated study, with each group going there to test one thing. Everyone who visits could speculate whether various conditions would improve or degrade the water quality.

 

You can get tests just water hardness test strips for a lot less money --In my area, the water we drink is quite hard because it has a lot of dissolved minerals in it. It's interesting to see the different hardnesses of water from various rock types in the area.

[+GEO WALKER]

Hey folks,

I have a serious question.

I love springs and we have several that were approved as ECs and I know of other interesting spots but I am tired of the same old questions. Here is a short list of the typical questions: temperature of spring, volume of the flow of the spring, direction of flow, elevation at spring site, type of spring perennial, etc.,

etc. I would love to have some suggestions for new and different 'educational' questions that could be used at spring sites. Thanks.

P.S. Please, I am not interested in snarky comments from those who have never developed an EC or from those who wish ECs would be transferred to Waymarking! Thanks for all constructive advise.

 

Here's an interesting EC w/a twist, Black as Coal, Orange as Water? GC1PQRC. Perhaps this approach may be what you're looking for. You may also want to check w/a local watershed group and see if they might be monitoring something that could be tested w/a pool kit. I personally like the idea of the "picture requirement"... Now that is sight specific...

Hope this helps...

[+Konnarock Kid & Marge]

Hey folks,

I have a serious question.

I love springs and we have several that were approved as ECs and I know of other interesting spots but I am tired of the same old questions. Here is a short list of the typical questions: temperature of spring, volume of the flow of the spring, direction of flow, elevation at spring site, type of spring perennial, etc.,

etc. I would love to have some suggestions for new and different 'educational' questions that could be used at spring sites. Thanks.

P.S. Please, I am not interested in snarky comments from those who have never developed an EC or from those who wish ECs would be transferred to Waymarking! Thanks for all constructive advise.

 

Here's an interesting EC w/a twist, Black as Coal, Orange as Water? GC1PQRC. Perhaps this approach may be what you're looking for. You may also want to check w/a local watershed group and see if they might be monitoring something that could be tested w/a pool kit. I personally like the idea of the "picture requirement"... Now that is sight specific...

Hope this helps...

 

Good ideas. Thanks for the help. I'll check out the EC. By the way, it is not beneath my dignity to use someone else's ideas!

[+Singletree Expedition]

As someone who caches in your area, I would be most interested in any springs with a high concentration of gold nuggets.

 

Also, you might consider that you're not too far from the Tennessee Valley Divide... Holston flows toward the Tennessee River and the New River flows toward the Ohio. It could be interesting to find a good spot on that divide. Also, the Tennessee Valley Divide meets the Eastern Continental Divide making a three way split.

 

So, in summary, I suggest scouting out those places until you find some gold nuggets and leave them for the FTF'er.

[+Konnarock Kid & Marge]

As someone who caches in your area, I would be most interested in any springs with a high concentration of gold nuggets.

 

Also, you might consider that you're not too far from the Tennessee Valley Divide... Holston flows toward the Tennessee River and the New River flows toward the Ohio. It could be interesting to find a good spot on that divide. Also, the Tennessee Valley Divide meets the Eastern Continental Divide making a three way split.

 

So, in summary, I suggest scouting out those places until you find some gold nuggets and leave them for the FTF'er.

I want to thank that Singletree bunch for making some good suggestions regarding finding springs on the Divides and we will check them out. Unfortunately for all those desiring riches from geocaching, I completed (barely) a high school level course in geology and learned to tell the difference between water and gold (one is yellow and solid and the other is definately WET). While leaving most of the water behind, we never met a gold nugget we didn't like................................................and kept!

P.S. While we don't have a lot of gold nuggets to give away, knowing your interest in arrow heads, we do have some chert you can beat into spear points!

Edited August 5, 2009 by Konnarock Kid & Marge