-------- Original Message --------
Subject:        FW: Geologic Map of C&O Canal
Date:   Mon, 8 Dec 2008 13:22:02 -0600
From:   Doug Behm <[log in to unmask]>
To:     <[log in to unmask]>




*Sent:* Friday, December 05, 2008 9:31 PM

*Subject:* Geologic Map of C&O Canal

This may be of interest to some.

New cool paper map and digital report, below.

Joseph Kerski

Geology of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historic Park And
Potomac River Corridor,
District of Columbia, Maryland, West Virginia and Virginia
Date: December 5, 2008

Stock# 208569 (Professional Paper 1691)
Price: $ 20.00 for the book plus $5.00 handling per order

Designated a National Monument by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in
1961, and a National Historical Park by President Richard M. Nixon in
1971, the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park (herein
referred to as the C&O Canal) is unique in that it is the only land
within the National Park Service (NPS) system that crosses 5
physiographic provinces along a major river. From the Georgetown section
of Washington, D.C., to Cumberland, Md., the C&O Canal provides an
opportunity to examine the geologic history of the central Appalachian
region and how the canal contributed to the development of this area.

The different rock types and surficial deposits dictated the various
construction methods for the canal, which was excavated in Quaternary
flood-plain deposits as well as through bedrock. The ancient course of
the Potomac River and the deposits it left behind also influenced the
location of the canal and towpath. Engineers made good use of the many
rock types to construct the locks, dams, aqueducts, and culverts that
guided water from the Potomac River into the canal and maintained the
water level as canal boats traveled between higher elevations in western
Maryland to sea level in Washington, D.C.

As the population in the Tidewater region grew and expanded westward,
the Potomac River became one of the most viable means to cross the
Appalachian Mountains to the fertile Ohio River valley and beyond. Over
time the vision of an industrial corridor along the Potomac River did
not happen and as a result the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National
Historic Park is a river valley nearly restored to its natural state in
the backyard of the Nation’s capital.

The report and map cover the entire park within an area that is 184.5 mi
long and 2 mi wide. The geologic guide is presented as if traveling the
canal from east to west, from Georgetown to Cumberland, by provinces and
sections, such as the Piedmont. Included in the guide are references to
detailed geologic information. Additional historical information is
found in other guidebooks of the C&O Canal.


This National Historic Park report can be purchased through the USGS
store at http://store.usgs.gov To view or download this report go to
http://pubs.er.usgs.gov/usgspubs/pp/pp1691 For more information on this
or other USGS products contact the USGS Science Information and Library
Services (SILS) at 1-888-ASK-USGS.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Joseph J. Kerski, Ph.D
[log in to unmask]
Education Manager
ESRI - Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc.
1 International Court
Broomfield CO 80021-3200 USA
Tel 303-449-7779 x 8237
Fax 303-449-8830
Join the GIS Education Community: http://edcommunity.esri.com

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