The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-07-28
nottom. near Highland Springs.
Creighton Road after storm.


, wholly within the Coastal Plain ana
extend from above the village OF At
d. lee 10 tide water. The portion deem
. ed most worthy OF investigation com
prises li.S92 acres situated above the
lower flood plains OF the river with
It's typical "ox-bow' meanderings. ana
l extends from the head of the swamp
: above Atlee to tide head at Providence
Forge.
Following the general trend Of the
valley the head Of the swamp is thir-
teen miles below the source of the
4 liver through tho swamp TO Providence
\ torEe is twenty nine miles. and the
I Mood plain extends about eighteen
| miles to tho mouth Of the river.
Tho general level OF the swamp at
It's head is loe feet. and at Providence
j gorge. five feet above mean sea level
I ne slope Is quite uniform, averaging
! about 36 feet per mile. or takin.. the
I moandercd course. about 2.S5 reet per
mile.
Cross sections of the valley show
J that there are two fairly we'll defined
bottoms nanked by blums risini; 50 to
/ 90 feet in height with slopes of about
twenty-five degrees to the horizontal
| The upper bottom slopes from the
\ bluff line at rates varying from ten
10 twenty inches per 100 feet 1t is
rarely overflowed and is favoran!y sit
/ N..N'A 4VA iilHTNUSu alHlnuEe as soon
as good outlets are secured. but IN its
present condition con5tant seepage
from tho rplands. often appearing as
snail springs at tho base of the bluffs,
keeps this land saturated for n large
portion of the year. The lower bottom
Is very flat. the slight slope being as
often away from the river as towards
II. The land is occasionally overlooked
ana nearly always in saturated con-
clifton. From bluff to hlun average.
about four-hfths Of a mile
Channel Conditions.
At the head Of the swamp thel
Chickahominy River is twenty-five feet
wide, tho bottom i've feet below tho
general land surface. and the contri-
hu,ing drainage area hf,y-cight square
miles At Providence Forge the width,
is fifty feet. the bottom six feet below
/ the land surface md the contaihutins|
I drainage area 2S6 square miles There
Is no perceptible tidal Influence above
| Providence Forge. Al Windsor Shades
three and one-half miles below, to
which point the river is navigable for
boais drawing not over nine feet Of
water the width is about 425 feet and
he mean tidal range - feet NJ the
mouth of the rived the width is about
ono and one half miles. and the mean
/ tidal range Is two feet
! The condition Of the channel through
/ land drainage purposes. much loss for
/ caring for oven moderate food dis
/ charges. The many sharp and irregu-
/ lar turns increase tho nominal longthl
! OF twenty nine miles to 3s5 miles
| while the depth is insufficient to afford
proper outlet for lateral streams and
/ ditches Moreover. trees logs and
brush which have fallen or been
I thrown into the river. together with,
I sand bars and shoals. seriously oh
! struct the flow the combined Influences
reducing the velocity at low water
stages to less than one-hnlf foot
/ second
1t is locally state@ that the channel
/ in former times when labor was chcapI
I end plentiful. was kept in much better
! condition than to-day and there vs.
/ ample evidence to suhstantiate tho
| atatemonts that large areas which
/ lave now reverted to "a state Of nature
! formerly produced good crops Of corn
aud tlmothy Such deterioration as.
mas occurred. however, must he at
iriQuicd mainly To other than NATURAL
I causes. probably To the decreasing ef-
iecis Of tho war and the constant lack
! "i interest In maintaining drainage
/ 'nanncls. In order TO compare tho
! conditions as existing in former times
/ the field notes Of an old survey and
/ inc of levels run nv one = NJ Ladd.
Z ''t -f'f'f NJ 'lF H4ttlf4 ana studied with
| considerable care This old survey
4 covored stretch ~ about eight ioilesi
/ -he tween Brook Run and Powhite.
ierk IN" conclusions reached were
mat as regards alignment and width
/ the channel IS I'm much better oondi-
pon to-day Than IL was in 1896 As re-
/ teids depth Stone and ohstructions in
y INC channel tho conditions arc rroh.
i AMY nor materially different MANY
S'nhll lateral streams are brinrinc sand
. rom iho adincpnt uplauds. but this is
+ neros tied before rcachins the river.
i hnd There rs little reason ia believe that
/ dotcrioration of the channel has &C
4. c'nied, or viii occur, in the future
Wntcrsbcd
me- watershed If The Chickahominv.
hiN'r above Providence Forge is about
miles in lcnrth and averages
seven miles In width hut narrows
-I'allN abreast the city ana suhurhs
OF iuohmond Tho Drainage divide or
"alerfhod line occupies gently slop-
ms ridges or broad cxpansos ,ysth.
orrsts about loo fco, above ,bs
Y RIVER Many small streams have their
s' near ihc drainage divide ana fol-
LOW inr the courses OF snarpest descent
20 'ne "iands nave cut deem oscarp-
MfHis thropeh tho blur lines While
IN" Wai'rsAcd Is fairly quick Il cam
N'' he regarded as "nashy" Tho
'flnd ~ highest water usually fol-
l''s storm iu from one to three
lH'Fs Tho subsistence continued over
! nrmner OF DAYS and may be length.
! '"'a 10 several weeks under winter
Z and spring conditions
so'l nnd Vegetation.
ne sAbsol Of the Chickahominv
h'Ver bottoms Is Of anuvial o.iein. II
= ) derived from tho granite and gneiss
I, .9' my 1' 'ons Of the region and consists
: ~ me SAND silt and clay which have
oeen Transported ana laid down NV
water u'"" "S
In mo upper bottoms. especially IN
me YIeinity OF the BLUFFS. both the soil
eno suosoil are OF sandy nature and