A geoWatershed trail designed to not only get you and your family outdoors, but expose you to the unique geological history of the Shenango River

Watershed.

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Developed by the Mercer County

Conservation District in cooperation

with:

Ashtabula County Soil and Water

Crawford County Conservation District

Pymatuning State Park

Trumbull County Soil and Water

Orangeville Municipality

Mahoning County Soil and Water

Lawrence County Conservation District

US Army Corps of Engineers

PA Game Commission

A grand opening for the geoWatershed

Trail was held on April 21, 2012.

EarthCache sights were published

through the official GeoCaching website:

www.geocaching.com.

Financial and other support for this project was provided by the

Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts, Inc. through a

grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental

Protection under Section 319 if the Clean Water Act, administered

by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

"The Groundspeak Geocaching Logo is a registered trademark

of Groundspeak, Inc. Used with permission."

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The

Mercer County

Conservation District

History As a result of the dust bowl of the 1930s, federal legislation was passed to encourage states to foster locally led resource conser-vation programs. The PA legislature joined in the application of conservation by passing Act 217, known as Conservation Dis-trict Law, in 1945. The Mercer County Conservation District was established on March 4, 1957 by proclamation of the Mer-cer County Board of Commissioners. It was the forty-fifth con-servation district established in PA. The Conservation District began official operations on August 6, 1957.

Vision Providing leadership, education, and guidance for the sustain-able use and protection of the county’s natural resources.

Goals - Protect and improve the natural resources throughout the county - Guide and assist residents in regulatory compliance - Develop and implement conservation education programs

Be sure to check us out at: www.mercercountycd.com

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SHENANGO RIVER HISTORY (Mondok, 1990)

The Shenango River Basin is shared by the state of Ohio

and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The river and its

tributaries drain 744 square miles of the Pennsylvania counties

of Crawford, Lawrence, and Mercer and 285 square miles of the

Ohio counties of Ashtabula, Mahoning, and Trumbull. The wa-

ters and its tributaries have been used for transportation such as

the Erie Extension Canal as well as industrial, municipal, and

residential water supplies.

Prior to European settlement, the land area of the She-

nango was inhabited by many indian tribes including the Seneca

and the Delaware. The word Shenango itself comes from the

Iroquoian word Shaningo meaning “beautiful one”.

The 75 mile long river begins in the marshes that are

now part of Pymatuning Reservoir near Hartstown in Crawford

County and eventually meets the Mahoning River near New

Castle in Lawrence County.

ICE AGE INFLUENCES (Mondok, 1990)

The topography and soils in Pennsylvania and Ohio

were shaped during the Ice Age that ended about 10, 000 years

ago. Prior to this glacial epoch, the Shenango River flowed in a

northerly direction to the Atlantic Ocean via the Great Lakes

and St. Lawrence River. This dissected plateau was covered by

glaciers; some were a mile thick in places. Boulders, rocks, soil,

sand, silt, and clay were carried with the glacial ice and depos-

ited as glacial till, kame terraces, moraines, and eskers when the

ice melted as the climate warmed. These deposits were so vast,

that their ancient river valleys were filled, causing the flow

from the Atlantic Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico.

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This displays the EarthCaches within the Shenango River geoWatershed

have been placed. The counties are: 1. Ashtabula, 2. Crawford,

3. Trumbull, 4. Mercer, 5. Mahoning, and 6. Lawrence.

1. 2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

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WHAT IS IT?

The Shenango River geoWatershed Trail provides a natural

history tour through the Shenango River Watershed that showcases

geological features that make this area unique. These geological fea-

tures are identified with actual latitude and longitude coordinates.

Write-ups for each set of coordinates were developed to explain the

geological and historical significance. After the coordinates were

determined and the write-ups were developed, the sights were put

into the official geocaching website for review and publishing. These

locations are now published EarthCaches on the geocaching website

at: www.geocaching.com. It is free to set up an account on this

website to have access to a wide array of cache types to feed your

adventurous desires.

WHAT IS GEOCACHING? “Geocaching is a real-world, outdoor treasure hunting game

using GPS-enabled devices. Participants navigate to a specific set of

GPS coordinates and then attempt to find the geocache (container)

hidden at that location.” (Geocaching, 2012).

ARE THERE DIFFERENT TYPES OF GEOCACHES?

To date, there are over one dozen types of caches available for

finding; each cache type is a slight variation from the original geo-

cache type (Geocaching, 2012).

WHAT IS AN EARTHCACHE? An EarthCache is a special place that people can visit to learn

about a unique geological feature on our Earth. EarthCache pages in-

clude a set of educational notes along with cache coordinates. In-

stead of signing a log book and looking for a hidden container, Earth-

Caches have questions about the specific sight that must be answered

and sent to the EarthCache owner to fulfill cache requirements

(Geocaching, 2012).

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Ashtabula County, Ohio Ashtabula County is the northeastern-most county in Ohio. It is 711 square miles and has a population of 101, 497 people. Ashtabula County was founded on June 7, 1807 and was named after the Iroquois word Ashtabula meaning “river with many fish”. This county is well known for its sev-enteen covered bridges that are located throughout the county limits. It also has three state designated rivers: The Grand River, Conneaut Creek, and Ash-tabula River.

Shenango River

Watershed

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Ashtabula County Soil and Water The Ashtabula Soil and Water Conservation District is an independent body of state government responsible for the conser-vation of soil and water resources within its boundary. Formed un-der and subject to the Ohio Soil and Water Conservation District Law, the District was organized by local landowners January 28, 1949 and is administered by a board of five supervisors elected by owners and occupiers of land within the District. The major func-tion of the District is to analyze natural resources needs and to de-sign and implement a program to solve soil and water conservation challenges. Through the District, the challenges are solved largely by landowners themselves, with technical and educational assis-tance furnished by the District and other conservation partners. The supervisors meet monthly to conduct the District’s business and attend other meetings representing the District. Supervisors receive no monetary compensation for their work.

While searching for EarthCaches, please feel free to enjoy some of Ashtabula County’s fine cuisine, outdoor adventure, and sight seeing. Restaurants

*Andover Diner– Andover, OH

*Cranberry Station- Andover, OH

*Covered Bridge Pizza Parlor– Andover, OH

Points of Interest

*Pymatuning State Park

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Coordinates: N 41ᴼ 34.267

W 080ᴼ 37.888

WHAT IS A FEN? A fen is a peat-forming wetland that receives its nutrients from sources other than precipitation; it usually comes from upslope sources through drainage of sur-rounding mineral soils and from groundwater movement. Unlike other types of wetlands, fens are usually alkaline; in other words they have a basic pH due to small amounts of dissolved limestone within it. Because of this unique feature, they are able to support much more diverse plant and animal communities (EPA, 2011).

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McCOY STATE NATURE PRESERVE-PYMATUNING CREEK FEN The McCoy State Nature Preserve is a 215 acre area that was set aside by the Cleveland Museum of Natural History as an area to be protected and allow limited access. This nature pre-serve houses the Pymatuning Creek Fen. The Pymatuning Creek Fen is host to many unusual northern plants called relict species that were left behind from glacial ice front that receded thousands of years ago. One such species is the rare spreading globe flower. Not only does the fen provide homes for unique flora, it also provides a home for unique fauna as well. An en-dangered mollusk, the clubshell, is located in this fen as well as the brush-tipped emerald dragonfly (Cleveland Museum of Natural History, 2012). This fen is one of the many unique geo-logical features within the Shenango River Watershed; Py-matuning Creek is one of the main tributaries that drains into the Shenango River at the Shenango River Lake.

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Crawford County, Pennsylvania Crawford County lies in northwestern Pennsylvania and is approximately 50 miles in length and 26 miles in width with a total area of 1,012 square miles. The entire county lies in the Appala-chian Plateau. Elevation varies from slightly less than 850 feet at the Erie County line to more than 1,900 feet above sea level in Sparta Township in the northeast corner. The county was formed in 1800 from a portion of Allegheny County and named after Colonel William Crawford, an early mili-tary hero and close friend of George Washington. Today Crawford County is divided into 35 townships, 14 boroughs, and two major cities. Several natural kettle lakes lie within the borders of Craw-ford County including Conneaut, the largest natural lake in Penn-sylvania, Canadohta, Crystal, Dollar, Mud, and Sugar. Pymatuning Reservoir, the largest man made lake in Pennsylvania, is also lo-cated in the county.

Crawford County Conservation District The Crawford County Conservation District was established by the County Commissioners on February 17, 1956, after over 100

Shenango River

Watershed

13

farmers signed a petition requesting that a district be formed. To-day the District has 6 full time employees and covers a wide range of conservation programs including Chapter 102 and 105 permitting, nutrient management planning, agricultural engi-neering assistance, watershed restoration, as well as environ-mental education programs. The District also operates the Woodcock Creek Nature Center and Stainbrook Park in Mead-ville, Pa.

Pymatuning State Park

On October 6, 1931 work began on the 17,088-acre Py-

matuning Reservoir whose primary purpose was for the conser-

vation of waters for the Shenango and Beaver Valleys. A secon-

dary purpose was flood control. Pymatuning is derived from the

Iroquois word meaning “the crooked– mouthed man’s dwelling

place” (crooked referring to deceitful). Today over 3 million an-

nual visitors enjoy fishing, hunting, swimming, boating and camp-

ing at Pymatuning State Park. Along with the famous Spillway

where the “ducks walk on the fish” Pymatuning is also home to

nesting bald eagles, waterfowl and songbirds making it a favorite

for birders. Located on the border between Pennsylvania and

Ohio, Pymatuning is a vacation destination for state, national, and

international visitors.

Points of Interest Restaurants– Linesville Linesville Spillway Rebeca’s Restaurant Pymatuning Wildlife Learning Center Ginny’s Bulk Food Pymatuning State Park Quackers Restaurant Linesville State Fish Hatchery Spillway Inn Visitors Center The Little Bit(Espyville)

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Coordinates: N 41ᴼ 29.790

W 080ᴼ 27.702

GEOLOGY OF THE SUGAR RUN AREA (MERCER COUNTY, PA)

The land surface of the majority of Mercer County is a maturely dissected plateau covered almost entirely by glacial deposits of the Kent ice sheet (Wisconsinan Stage). These deposits range in thickness from 0 to as much as 400 feet; they are thickest in deep valleys in the bedrock. The bedrock for Mercer County was mapped in great de-tail and consists of rocks of Devonian, Mississippian, and Pennsylanian age. The rocks from the Devonian age are

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not exposed in Mercer County but are present beneath the gla-cial deposits in deep bedrock valleys. The Mississippian rocks are found along valley sides and some valley bottoms, and the Pennsylvanian rocks generally underlie the uplands (Schiner and Kimmel, 1976). Mississippian and Pennsylvanian rocks are mostly com-posed of alternating units of sandstone and shale. These sand-stones tend to frequently intertongue laterally with shales. Note: Pennsylvanian rocks are generally more sandy than the Mississippian rocks (Schiner and Kimmell, 1976).

SUGAR RUN SANDSTONE STREAMBED

As you walk along the banks of Sugar Run, a small tribu-tary that enters into the Shenango River below the Pymatuning Dam, large slabs of rock are seen jutting out along the banks and stream bed. These slabs of rock are considered sandstone. Awaiting the survey of a geologist, how these rocks came to be can be postulated. Maybe they portray the rocks that were car-ried with the glacial drift some 10,000 years ago; yet another postulation, is that these are the sandstones from the Mississip-pian and Pennsylvanian formations that became exposed from the recession of the last glacier in the area. None-the-less, they portray a step back into the glacial periods that forever changed the flow of the Shenango River we know today.

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Coordinates: N 41ᴼ 33.833

W 080ᴼ 22.725

FORMATION OF HARTSTOWN SWAMP

Glaciers not only transport material as they move, they also sculpt and carve away the land beneath them. The combination of the glacier’s weight and its movement greatly impacts the landscape (Nat’l Snow and Ice Data Center, 2012). Hartstown Swamp, the headwaters to both Crooked Creek and the Shenango River, was formed back during the glacial epoch. As the glacier moved throughout Northwestern PA, it reshaped the surrounding landscape; in this instance, it created what is now known as Harts-town Swamp.

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HARTSTOWN SWAMP Hartstown Swamp is located at the headwaters of both the Crooked Creek and Shenango River Watersheds. A water-shed is a region that is drained by, or one that contributes wa-ter to, a stream, lake, or other body of water. Watersheds are surrounded by topographic highs called divides. These divides are any ridges between two streams along which precipitation runs off. They also determine the size of the watershed. Water-sheds vary in size due to shape of these divides (Globe Fearon, 2003). Hartstown Swamp is a unique geo-hydrological feature in that it contains the divide where Crooked Creek and the She-nango River begin. Somewhere beneath the grassy overlay and water of this swamp lies the divide that determines which way the water will flow. Ultimately all water within Hartstown Swamp is part of the Shenango River Watershed because Crooked Creek flows into the Little Shenango River which is a tributary to the Shenango. Water from the Shenango River Wa-tershed eventually becomes part of the Ohio River Basin which ultimately drains into the Mississippi River to the Gulf of Mex-ico.

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Trumbull County, Ohio Trumbull County is located in Northeast Ohio between Cleveland and Youngstown. The County is east of Akron and borders Pennsylvania. It was established on July 10, 1800, serving as the seventh county of the Northwest Territory. (Yes, Trumbull County was indeed considered the “wild west” at that time). The county is named after Jonathan Trumbull, a Gover-nor of Connecticut, who once owned the land. The county has a total area of 635 square miles. It is the only square county in the entire State of Ohio with each side being approximately 25 miles. Trumbull County has seven cit-ies: Cortland, Girard, Hubbard, Newton Falls, Niles, Warren, Youngstown and five villages: Lordstown, McDonald, Orange-ville, West Farmington, and Yankee Lake. The County’s popula-tion is approximately 225,000.

Shenango River

Watershed

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Trumbull County Soil and Water Trumbull SWCD is currently the lead agency of the Penn Ohio Watershed Association (POWA). The Penn Ohio Watershed Association is a grass roots organization working to protect natural resources throughout the Pymatuning Shenango Watershed. Comprised of local agencies and concerned citizens, the association was created in 1994 to address concerns regarding the health of the watershed. The Penn Ohio Watershed Association does education and outreach events, water qual-ity monitoring, litter cleanups, riparian zone and tree plantings. Meet-ings are typically quarterly and open to the public. Anyone interested in joining the Penn Ohio Watershed Association or participating in POWA or Trumbull SWCD activities and programs can contact Amy Reeher, Wa-tershed Coordinator, at 330-637-2056, ext. 111 or reehera@embarqmail.com Trumbull County has many historical features including: Octa-gon House (circa 1858), Trumbull County Covered Bridge, the Trumbull County Courthouse and the Trumbull County Carnegie Law Library. Information regarding these structures can be found at http://www.co.trumbull.oh.us/tc_bldgs.html Trumbull County has a variety of dining establishments including national chains and local restaurants. The restaurants listed below are just some of the unique places to dine in Trumbull County: *The Chophouse *Emma’s Home Cooking (in an Amish E. Niles, Ohio 44446 Country home) Mesopotamia, Ohio 44439 *The Hippodrome Warren, Ohio 44481 *The Lake Tavern Cortland, Ohio 44410 *The Mocha House Warren, Ohio 44481

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Coordinates: N 41ᴼ 20.390

W 080ᴼ 31.168

BEREA SANDSTONE/ CHADAKOIN ROCK FORMATIONS Berea Sandstone is of Mississippian age. This simply means that it was formed during the Mississippian period. During the Mississippian period, the Inland Basin region was still an inland sea environment. Sediment was beginning to shed into the basin from the Acadian highlands of the east. Gradually, the amount of incom-ing sediment into the basin declined. The shoreline of the sea moved back and forth across the basin as the sea level rose and fell. The changing water levels created alternating sequences of non-marine and marine sedimentary rocks. Limestones were beginning to form in areas of the sea that received little sediment (Ansley, 2000). During this time period, the Northeast was still located along the equator, so the warm climate created lush vegetation (Ansley, 2000). Large swamps covered the shorelines of the inland sea. Plant material in the swamps would die and accumulate into thick

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piles of peat. This peat became buried by sediment and more vegeta-tion, eventually becoming compressed. Over time and continual bur-ial, the peat was transformed into layers of coal. Thus, the Mississip-pian rocks of the Inland Basin region, are repeating sequences of al-ternating sedimentary rock and bands of coal due to the shifts in sea level that allowed lush vegetation to develop into swamps (Ansley, 2000). Berea sandstone is one of the most well known rocks of this age in Ohio. This type of sandstone is usually massive in structure with medium fine grain size sporting a light gray to slight buff color. Berea is utilized for building stones and abrasives as well as storing petroleum, natural gas, and salt brines under deep covering. Berea is often utilized during construction as: building stone, curbing, flag-ging, and riprap. It is also the chief source for grindstones, whet-stones, and related rubbing stones. It was formerly used for mill stones that primarily focused on grinding barley and other grains (Stout, 1944). In addition to the Berea sandstone that is exposed, some rocks of the Chadakoin Formation are also visible. The Chadakoin formation is comprised of light-gray to brownish siltstone and sand-stone, interbedded with medium-gray shale (Schweitzer, 2004). The Chadakoin rock formation comes from the Devonian Period; this geo-logic time period occurred before the Mississippian time period. During the Devonian, important changes were occurring in the land masses around the globe. Europe and America had collided, thus forming the large continent of Euramerica. The other large land mass was that of the Gondwana which included: South America, Af-rica, Antarctica, India, and Australia. These two large land masses laid close to one another near the equator (Mann, 2005). Because they laid so close to the equator, the climate was very warm. This allowed for lush vegetation on land while fish teemed in the waters surrounding the continents (Mann, 2005).

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Mercer County, Pennsylvania Mercer County was founded on March 12, 1800. It covers 683 square miles, 11 square miles of which are wa-ter. From the 2011 census, it was determined that there are 116, 638 people living within the county’s borders. The county seat is located in the borough of Mercer. Her-mitage, PA is the largest city within the county borders. Mercer County is a scenic beauty. Take a drive in the open country of the county and you will see farmlands and Amish country. Take a bike ride down the bike trail at Maurice K. Goddard State Park, which is located just out-side of Sandy Lake, PA. Escape to the local cities and towns for some exquisite dining; from large chains to hometown restaurants, there is food to satisfy anyone’s desires.

Shenango River

Watershed

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While searching for EarthCaches, please feel free to enjoy some of Mercer County’s fine cuisine, outdoor adventure, and sight seeing.

Food ideas within watershed Hermitage

Hickory Grille Red Lobster Montana’s Steakhouse Bob Evan’s Pizza Hut Panera Bread Applebee’s

Sharpsville Lock, Stock, and Barrell

Jackson Center Yellow Creek Inn

Places of Interest Munnell Run Farm

Shenango River Lake Buhl Park

Shenango Valley Mall Kidd’s Mill Covered Bridge

Maurice K. Goddard State Park (Sandy Lake, PA) Canal Museum (Riverside Park, Greenville)

Premium Outlets (Grove City) Daffin’s Candies (Sharon)

McKeever Environmental Learning Center (Sandy Lake, PA) The Canal Lock (Sharpsville)

Greenville Compadres Carini Restaurant Stone Arch Pizza Joes

Mercer Rachels Iron Bridge Springfield Grille Fox’s Pizza Pizza Joes

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Coordinates: N 41ᴼ 19.927

W 080ᴼ 21.160

OXBOW LAKE HISTORY

Oxbow lakes are common floodplain features around the world; they are remnants of meandering flood-plain rivers that have been physically isolated from their respective main river channels and generally catch small relic drainage areas (Cooper, Smith, and Moore, 2003). According to a paper written by Department of Geology John Weihaupt in 1977, “one of the earliest references to oxbow lakes is in Brigham’s discussion of the constructive and destructive work of rivers in the creation of landforms

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(Brigham, 1892). He seems to have been the first to use the term “oxbow lake” to refer to crescent-shaped lakes. He was also known for calling them “cut-off” lakes (Weihaupt, 1977). An oxbow lake is formed when a bend in a river is cut-off from the main channel by the forces of erosion and deposition. This type of lake is slowly created as soil erodes and is eventually re-deposited, thus changing the river’s course ( Enchanted Gardens, 2011).

SHENANGO OXBOW LAKE HISTORY

As stated previously, at one time, the Shenango River used to flow north and eventually emptied into the Atlantic Ocean. Due to glaciation, the flow of the Shenango River changed. This oxbow lake is of significance because it shows that the Shenango River is constantly changing as it re-establishes its post-glacial flow pattern.

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Coordinates: N 41ᴼ 8.628

W 080ᴼ 13.045

FORMATION OF WATERFALLS

Waterfall formation occurs due to the basic princi-ple of erosion. To put it simply, there is a water source that travels over different types of rocks that have various rates of erosion. Rocks with slow rates of erosion will take time before they begin to erode; these are referred to as hard rock. On the other hand, rocks with high rates of ero-sion quickly erode (J. Cheng, 2012). As time progresses, the soft rock is further eroded by the water; this ultimately makes the watercourse

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steeper beyond the hard rock layer. As the watercourse continues to steepen, it accelerates erosion of the soft rock due to the influence of gravity on the water’s speed. Cas-cades and rapids are examples of this stage. Eventually, the watercourse steepens until it is vertical. It can now be re-ferred to as a waterfall (J. Cheng, 2012). As the watercourse continues to cut the softer rock, the waterfall gets taller, and the plunge pool gets deeper. Sometimes this soft rock is undercut so much, that the hard rock becomes an overhang. If this undercutting continues on, the hard rock overhang can get unstable and collapse. This causes the waterfall to retreat upstream to the remain-ing lip of the rock layer (J. Cheng, 2012). SPRINGFIELD FALLS Springfield Falls are located on Schollard’s Run. This stream is one of the few area streams that flows in a North-erly direction; most streams flow towards the south in this particular watershed. Springfield Falls are one of only a handful of waterfalls located in the Shenango River Water-shed. It is roughly 13 feet high and over 60 feet wide with a constant flow of water throughout the year. It’s crazy that such a small stream can fan out and flow over 60 feet wide.

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Coordinates: N 41ᴼ 15.822

W 080ᴼ 27.678

WHY ARE SEDIMENTARY ROCKS SO PROMINENT IN THIS AREA? Sedimentary rocks are dominant in this region because this area was covered by an ocean for millions of years: first in the Cambrian period when the global sea level was high; during this time, the ocean stretched far inland over most of the Northeast (Ansley, 2000). The ocean also existed during the Taconic and Acadian mountain-building periods west of the new mountain ranges that were formed. The basin of the inland sea formed by the buckling of the crust from the compression of plates during the mountain-building stages (Ansley, 2000). Conglomerates, sandstones, siltstones, shales, lime-stone, and dolostones are common rocks that were formed

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from these oceans and the bordering environments such as del-tas, swamps, and tidal areas (Ansley, 2000).

SHENANGO RESERVOIR MISSISSIPPIAN ROCKS- SHARPS-VILLE SANDSTONE Sharpsville Sandstone was named due to the sequence of alternating layers of very fine-grained sandstone and shale. The Sharpsville Sandstone that is exposed along the Shenango Reser-voir is a very fine-grained, planar-bedded sandstone. It is light to medium gray or yellowish gray in color and weathers to an al-most grayish brown (Schiner and Kimmel, 1976).

A LOOK BACK AT THE MISSISSIPPIAN PERIOD During the Mississippian period, the Inland Basin region was still an inland sea environment. Sediment was beginning to be shed into the basin from the Acadian highlands of the east. Gradually, the amount of incoming sediment into the basin de-clined. The shoreline of the sea moved back and forth across the basin as the sea level rose and fell. The changing water levels cre-ated alternating sequences of non-marine and marine sedimen-tary rocks (Ansley, 2000). During this time period, the Northeast was still located along the equator, so the warm climate created lush vegetation. Large swamps covered the shorelines of the inland sea. Plant ma-terial in the swamps would die and accumulate into thick piles of peat. This peat became buried by sediment and more vegetation, eventually becoming compressed. Over time and continual bur-ial, the peat was transformed into layers of coal. Thus, the Missis-sippian rocks of the Inland Basin region, are repeating sequences of alternating sedimentary rock and bands of coal due to the shifts in sea level that allowed lush vegetation to develop into swamps (Ansley, 2000).

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Coordinates: N 41ᴼ 17.822

W 080ᴼ 15.742

ARTESIAN WELL BASICS

Artesian wells are “pumpless” wells; in other words, water courses through porous rock in an astounding feat of defying gravity. This is possible because of the pressure that accumulates between the impermeable rock layers. In an ef-fort to relieve the pressure and equilibrium, the porous rock pushes up the water, which eventually reaches the open air where the pressure is relieved (Brainz, 2010). The water source for artesian wells is known as an

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aquifer. These aquifers store water in permeable rock such as limestone or sandstone that comes from melting snow, high precipitation, groundwater, run-off, etc. As stated previously, this permeable stone is surrounded by two layers of impermeable stone like clay or rock. This impermeable rock is what causes the high levels of pres-sure that eventually push the water to the surface through either some sort of man-made piping or a frac-ture in the impermeable rock (Brainz, 2010). For thousands of generations, people have relied on these artesian wells for water. Unlike traditional wells, these wells provide water that is cold and clean. The permeable rock acts as natural filters and percola-tors that trap contaminants as the water passes through it. It is said that water from artesian wells is much safer to drink than river water. As stated previously, people usually install piping into the ground until it reaches the aquifer trapped between the impermeable rocks. This allows an outlet for the water to pump to the surface. In ancient times, people would access these wells by hitting a rod with a sharpened tip with a hammer (Brainz, 2010).

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Coordinates: N 41ᴼ 16.945

W 080ᴼ 19.239

BIG BEND

The Big Bend area on the Shenango River displays a unique 90 degree turn in the river’s path as it begins to drain down to the Shenango River Lake. Along the banks of Big Bend, you can take a step back into Erie Extension Canal his-tory. The remnants of the ripwrap laid along the stream bank to prevent streambank erosion is evident in this area. The Erie Extension Canal provided the isolated regions of Mercer County a vital means of transporting goods to ports at Erie

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and Pittsburgh. This stimulated the regional economy which for years had been limited to local trade due to the absence of convenient transportation (Bauman, J.F., 1989). In addition to its unique historical significance, the Big Bend area also holds some very innovative geological postula-tions into the history of its northern path. As stated previ-ously, the Shenango River flowed northward before the gla-cial epoch. Based off the “Bedrock Geologic Map of the Fredo-nia and Sharpsville Quadrangles and Part of the Orangeville Quadrangle, Northern Mercer County, PA” map by George Schiner and Grant Kimmel published in 1976, the bedrock of the riverbed for both the Shenango River and Lackawannock Creek is the same. It is made up of Bedford Shale, Cussewago Sandstone, and Devonian Undifferentiated. Based off the riv-erbed rock structure and the actual riverbed location, it is postulated that before the glacial epoch, the Shenango River coursed up Lackawannock Creek northward. Today, Lacka-wannock Creek is a tributary that flows into the Shenango River at the Big Bend. At this location, you will be able to see the Big Bend, where Lackawannock joins the Shenango, and the historic rip-rap of the Erie Extension Canal.

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Coordinates: N 41ᴼ 08.146

W 080ᴼ 30.395

SHENANGO TOWNSHIP ESKER Eskers are among some of the most interesting kinds of glacial deposits. These were deposited by streams and riv-ers that flowed on top of glaciers, in the glacial cracks, or in some cases, even in tunnels beneath the ice. Take a step back in time and imagine a river that is flowing in a valley or crack of the glacier. What are the banks made up of? Ice of course. These Ice Age rivers and streams deposited gravel and sand in their ice valleys, just as modern stream deposits sediments in

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their valleys and streambeds. The key difference be-tween modern day rivers and streams compared to the glacial streams and rivers is the banks. Unlike present day banks, the glacial banks of those esker rivers eventu-ally melted away, thus leaving gravel deposits standing as ridges. What a topographical phenomenon! The once valleys became inverted into present-day ridges. To put it simply, eskers are the ridges of gravel and sand that mark the routes of stream and rivers that flowed in, on, or beneath glaciers. The word esker comes from an Irish Gaelic work “eiscer” which means ridge. These remnant glacial features can be more than 100 feet high, a few hundred feet wide, and many miles long. Some eskers have almost nearly level crests (Bluemle, J.P., 2007). The Shenango Township Esker is thus a unique geological feature from glacial periods. It displays where the glacier once was and the esker stream or river that flowed on, in, or beneath it. This esker is not as prominently noticeable as ones that are covered with low vegetation such as grasses; the trees tend to mask its topography and make it appear as just another small hill. Take a close look and you can see how the ridge tends to wind along the valley floor. What an interesting glacial phenomenon!

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Mahoning County, Ohio Mahoning County is located in northeastern Ohio adjacent to Lawrence County in Pennsylvania. It is 411 square miles and has a population of 238, 823 people. Mahoning County was founded on March 1, 1846 and was named after the Native American word meaning “salt lick”. This county has seven major cities and 14 townships.

Shenango River

Watershed

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Mahoning County Soil and Water

The 94th General Assembly passed passed the

House Bill 646 on May 16, 1941 which created the Ohio

Soil Conservation Committee as the agency for the State of

Ohio. This also allowed for the formation of local conser-

vation districts. The Mahoning County Soil and Water

Conservation District was organized in June 1950 as the

82nd conservation district. Today, its main priorities are:

conservation education, nonpoint source pollution water-

shed protection, technical assistance, and other conserva-

tion topics. It provides education and assistance that pro-

motes stewardship of natural resources for all genera-

tions.

While searching for EarthCaches, please feel free to enjoy some of Mahoning County’s fine cuisine, outdoor adventure, and sight seeing. Restaurants: *Downtown Coffee Cafe– Hubbard

*Main Moon Chinese Restaurant– Hubbard

*Best Catch Seafood– Campbell

*Pizza Joe’s– Campbell

*Valley Café– Campbell

Points of Interest

*Mill Creek MetroParks *Lanterman’s Mill and Covered Bridge

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Coordinates: N 41ᴼ 07.142

W 080ᴼ 33.608

MCGUFFEY DRUMLIN Located on McGuffey Road in Mahoning County, Ohio is a low, smoothly-rounded hill approximately 800 feet long, 200 feet wide and 40 feet high. Based on observations of the makeup of the hill during excavations over the years and the fact that the elongated hill has the general shape of a teaspoon lying upside down, the hill is a drumlin. A drumlin (the word drumlin is derived from the Gaelic word druim, a “rounded hill” or “mound”) is an oval or elongated hill made under the ice of a glacier when a crevice in the ice has allowed till, gravels and rock to fall to

This portrays a 3D image of the McGuffey Drumlin with-out the trees.

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the bottom of the glacier. This unsorted material, deposited by the glacial ice, shows no stratification. Generally found in broad low-land areas, the long axes of drumlins roughly run parallel to the path of glacial flow. Although the shapes of drumlins vary, the glacier side of a drumlin is always high and steep, with the opposite end smooth and tapering gently in the direction of the ice movement (Allaby, M. 2004). According to John Hildreth Chase in his book, Geological Field Trips in the Youngstown Area, a 1941 excavation found the hill on McGuffey Road “to be made of a jumble of sand, pebbles and boul-ders” with “no stratification”. He also stated that the axis of the drumlin “lies 30 degrees west of north which is the usual direction of glacial scratches in the Youngstown area”. Drumlins are common in central Wisconsin, central New York, northwestern Canada, southwestern Nova Scotia, and in Ire-land. However, Chase believed that the drumlin on McGuffey road is the only one discovered in Ohio.

McGUFFEY WILDLIFE PRESERVE This Earth Cache is located at McGuffey Wildlife Preserve, one of eight preservation areas in the 4,400-arce Mill Creek MetroParks system in Mahoning County, Ohio. Mill Creek Park, which was established in 1891 as the first park district in Ohio, was converted to a metropolitan park district in 1989 (Mill Creek MetroParks, 2011). The 78-acre McGuffey Wildlife Preserve was donated to Mill

Creek Park in 1998 by the William Holmes McGuffey Historical Soci-

ety. Once the former home of William Holmes McGuffey, author of

the McGuffey Readers, who lived in a log cabin on this site; the Wil-

liam Holmes McGuffey Boyhood Home Site was designated a Regis-

tered National Historic Landmark (Mill Creek MetroParks, 2011).

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Lawrence County, Pennsylvania Known as the firework capitol of the world, Lawrence County is located just north of Pittsburgh, between Beaver and Mercer County. Established in 1849 with roughly 6,000 citi-zens, the county is now home to approximately 91,108 citizens. In the early 1900’s, the City of New Castle, centered in the mid-dle of the county, was one of the fastest growing cities in the nation, due to its growing tin industry. Today, New Castle is no longer the “Tin Industry” capitol of the world, but the county still has much to offer. Touring the scenic, rural hills you will find parks and trails, and many rolling farms, not to mention the 3rd largest Old Order Amish population in the nation. Addi-tionally, Lawrence County has exquisite cuisine to please any taste, from Italian to Middle Eastern. With much to offer, Law-rence County is a great place to spend the day relaxing.

Shenango River

Watershed

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Lawrence County Conservation District The Lawrence County Conservation District, founded in

1961, operates under the belief that conservation works best when

local people, those who live and work in the area, play an active

role in managing their natural resources. Because conservation dis-

tricts are familiar with local issues they are able to identify and pri-

oritize actions needed to manage the resources of a particular area.

Just this past year, Lawrence County Conservation District cele-

brated their 50th anniversary along with some recent major accom-

plishments. These accomplishments include the concept and devel-

opment of West Park Nature Center, the Urban Tree Revitalization

Project in the city of New Castle, Bevington Boat Access Ramp on

the Beaver River and Deer Creek and Hickory Creek Watersheds

restoration projects.

While searching for EarthCaches, please feel free to enjoy some of Lawrence County’s fine cuisine, outdoor adventure, and sight seeing. Restaurants: Places of Interest: Four Brothers Urban Bistro McConnell’s Mills State Park II Tomato West Park Nature Center Mary’s Middle Eastern Restaurant Stavich Bike Trail Lanigan’s Irish Pub & Eatery Volant Shops The Tavern Living Treasures Animal Park Nicco Lucciano’s Hoyt Institute of Fine Arts, Ryder’s Restaurant North Hill Pizza Joe’s Ewing Park, Ellwood City

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BIG RUN FALLS

Big Run Falls are located along Big Run within the New Castle city municipal park known as Cascade Park. The stream and waterfall were created from the receding Wisconsin Glacier some 10,000 years ago. Big Run Falls is known as a plunge waterfall; this type of waterfall is char-acterized by water that drops vertically without touching the underlying cliffs behind it. Cascades are located before the actual plunge of waterfall. Cascades have various stages that they flow over as they fall down a rocky slope. Both types of waterfalls are present at Big Run Falls.

Coordinates: N 40ᴼ 58.608

W 080ᴼ 19.230

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In addition to the beautiful waterfalls, the rock forma-tions that surround the falls are intriguing. These too were also formed during the receding of the glaciers during the ice age epoch. The rocks here are part of the Pottsville Group of the Pennsylvanian System. The Pennsylvanian System is a group of rocks that has been and is of enormous importance for its coals, clays, shales, sandstones, limestones, iron ore, petroleum, natu-ral gas, and brines. These rocks cover an area of more than 70, 800 square miles in central and western Pennsylvania, eastern Ohio, western Maryland, western Virginia, West Virginia, east-ern Kentucky, eastern Tennessee, and northern Alambama. There are four series within the Pennsylvanian system: Pott-ville, Allegheny, Conemaugh, and Monongahela. The Pottsville is the basal series of the Pennsylvanian system and is of vast importance for its mineral resources (Stout, 1944).

CASCADE PARK HISTORY Cascade Park officially opened as a public park on May 29, 1897. Over the next few decades it grew to include various styles of entertainment such as: an outdoor theater, a large dance pavilion, a fifteen-acre lake, a zoo, several baseball fields, a carousel, a picnic grove, concession stands, a rollercoaster, and a host of midway rides. The heyday of the urban park was during the 1920’s when it was expanded to a full 183 acres. To-day, it is part of the city’s public park system; it no longer has the rides or carnival-style persona. It now represents a park that has slowly been restored to its natural beauty. A place where one can take a stroll on one of the many hiking trails in the park or come to see the beauty of the falls. During the sum-mer months, Cascade Park is one of the host sites for the largest event of New Castle “Back to the Fifties” (Lawrence County Memoirs, 2011).

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The first Army Engineer was appointed on June

16, 1775 by General George Washington. The Corps of

Engineers was established as a separate permanent

branch on March 16, 1802. Historically the Corps of

Engineers constructed coastal forts and mapped much

of the great American West. Through the years the

Corps surveyed roads and canals, eliminated naviga-

tion hazards in rivers and ports and constructed many

of the government buildings and monuments in the

nation’s capital. In the 20th century, the U.S. Army

Corps of Engineers became the lead federal agency for

flood control. The Corps manages over 400 water re-

source projects that provide over 11 million acres of

land and water helping to make it the second largest

provider of recreation in the United States, second

only to the U.S. Forest Service.

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Wildlife has always been an integral part of

Pennsylvania. Every day, it touches the lives of

countless Pennsylvanians, many of which consider it

a state treasure. During the 1800s, wildlife did not

flourish as it does today due to deforestation, pollu-

tion, and unregulated hunting and trapping. From

this time period emerged the Game Commission. The

PA Game Commission was created by state legisla-

ture to conserve and protect wildlife; during that

time period wildlife was often referred to as game.

The environmental and ecological diversity enjoyed

today is largely due to the Game Commission’s pro-

gressive, scientifically-based wildlife management

programs (PA Game Commission, 2010).

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from: http://www.encyclopedia.com

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Northeastern U.S Paleontological Research Institution, 32.

~Bauman, J.F. (1989). The Erie Extension Canal and the Canal Boom

Towns of Clarksville, Big Bend, and New Hamburg, PA, During

the Canal Era, 1941-1871: A Search of the Literature. US Army

Corps of Engineers, 1.

~Bluemle, J.P. (2007). Eskers in North Dakota. North Dakota Geological

Survey. Retrieved from: https://www.dmr.nd.gov/ndgs/ndnotes/

Eskers/Eskers.asp

~Brainz. (2010). What is an Artesian Well? Retrieved from: http://

brainz.org/what-artesian-well/

~Brigham, A.P. (1892). Rivers and the Evolution of Geographic Forms.

Journal of the American Geographical Society, 24, 23-43.

~Cheng, J. 2012. Waterfalls 101. World of Waterfalls. Retrieved from:

http://www.world-of-waterfalls.com/featured-articles-waterfalls-

101.html

~Cleveland Museum of Natural History. (2012). McCoy State Nature Pre-

serve. Cleveland Museum of Natural History. Retrieved from:

http://www.cmnh.org/site/Conservation/NaturalAreas/Map/

McCoyNaturePreserve.aspx

~Cooper, C., S. Smith, and M. Moore. (2003). Surface Water, Ground Wa-

ter, and Sediment Quality in Three Oxbow Lake Watersheds in the

Mississippi Delta Agricultural Region: Pesticides. International

Journal of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, 29, 171-84.

~Environmental Protection Agency. (2011). Fens. Water: Wetlands. Re-

trieved from: http://water.epa.gov/type/wetlands/fen.cfm

~Finlayson, M. and M. Moser. (1997). Wetlands. International Waterfowl

and Wetlands Research Bureau, vol 6, p. 7.

~Gardens, E (2011) What is an Oxbow Lake? Retrieved from:

http://www.nywetlands.com/oxbowlake.html.

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~Geocaching. (2012). GeoCaching 101. Retrieved from: http://

www.geocaching.com/guide/default.aspx

~Globe Fearon. (2003). Chapter 1: Watersheds and Wetlands. Environment

and Ecology for Pennsylvania: Meeting the Standards, 10.

~Lawrence County Memoirs. (2011). Cascade Park of Today. Retrieved

from: http://www.lawrencecountymemoirs.com/lcmpages/180/

cascade-park-of-today-new-castle-pa

~Mann, D. and C. (2005). The Devonian Period: The Age of Fish. Re-

trieved from: http://www.fossils-facts-and-finds.com/

devonian_period.html.

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from: http://www.millcreekmetroparks.com/ParksFacilities/

NaturePreserves/McGuffeyWildlifePreserve/tabid/1515/

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land.html.

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Commission. Retrieved from: http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/

server.pt?open=514&objID=983474&mode=2

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3B8

~Schiner, G. and G. Kimmel. (1976). Geology and Ground-Water Resources

of Northern Mercer County, PA. Water Resource Report, 33, 1-2.

~Stout, W. (1944). Sandstones and Conglomerates in Ohio. Geological Sur-

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753 Greenville Road

Mercer, PA 16137

Phone: (724) 662- 2242

Fax: (724) 662- 3905

Website: www.mercercountycd.com

Mercer County Conservation District