Mar 18 Three Dam Hike on Little Caraway

 

Little Caraway Creek enters a tight gorge here. The flow of the creek becomes lively and the creek is punctuated with many rocks. Both floodplains have been scoured by a January rainstorm. 

The flooding left the floodplains open, allowing moss to grow and give the creek a colorful appearance.  

This troll tree Sycamore has an extensive above ground root network. 

Will and I were both in awe of the beauty of the section of the creek. We were not here because of that. We were looking for another Caraway drainage check dam. Satellite imagery showed something across the creek in the area. It was a long shot being a dam but the beauty of the creek would have been enough to visit this area.  

The creek continued its picturesque journey. It was easy to walk with the floodplains having been cleared.

Then, it appeared. A 150 foot check dam with one outlet, 3 foot high wings and probably the thickest wall we have seen yet. The rocks appear to be larger than most dams we have visited. And this may be the highest we have seen as well. Its sides are anchored well giving this one a chance to survive. Many we have seen have been breached, usually on an earthen end. 

The creek flows through the one outlet at grade unlike others.

The slope is similar to other Caraway drainage dams. There are huge flat rocks held in place by mortar. The only mortared place on the dam. 

upriver side of the dam

I don't understand why this outlet is not blocked by debris. There was just this small amount of debris here. Almost immediately upcreek, two branches flow together.  

After a lengthy visit, we turned back to head down river to this check dam. We have visited this one before. It is 200 feet with one outlet (possibly a second has collapsed). It has only one rock wing, about 5 feet high. The other side is wingless but the land slopes upward creating a second wing. It is well anchored in rock bed. We are 1/2 mile down creek of the first dam.

About 3/10 mile from the second dam is another one. It has been breached and has suffered some other damage. One outlet, 5 foot wings and just over 100 feet. It is well anchored in rock bed on the side still intact but the other side has blown out and the earthen bank has been cut away. 

back side

The creek now flows freely around the blow out.

Orange Rock Hair looks like spray paint.

Little Caraway flows into Caraway at an unusual angle. Walking down creek on Little Caraway, you see the Caraway Creek Preserve's dam straight ahead. Little Caraway enters Caraway flowing into Caraway's flow rather than with it. Just below the forks is a ford which we used. This is possibly where the Indian Trading Path crossed Caraway.