Lost River - Karst Information Portal

2007 NSS Convention Guidebook
were formed as residual hills by surface stream
erosion coupled with escarpment retreat
(Ruhe, 1974) during Tertiary time, as was the
dendritic drainage pattern of the deep valleys
within the Crawford Upland. Some valleys of
the Crawford Upland that are characterized
by subterranean drainage are karst valleys. The
floors of these valleys are at grade with the
upland surface of the Mitchell Plain within the
Lost River drainage basin, and were karsted
during Pleistocene time as Lost River deeply
entrenched through the Tertiary clay deposits
into the limestone bedrock and developed
subterranean tributaries at grade with the
bedrock channel (Powell, 1964).
The bedrock valley of Lost River
downstream from the Orangeville area is
backfilled with colluvial, alluvial, and lacustrine
sediments of Pleistocene age which have
effectively dammed the lower parts of caverns
in the Lost River area, raising the water table
and causing artesian conditions. The high water
table conditions cause rapid and extensive
flooding of the subterranean conduits and the
temporary overland routes.
146
Dr Clyde A. Malott, a late geology
professor at Indiana University, observed
stream flow conditions within the Lost River
area for over 25 years prior to his death in
1952. He presented several papers dealing with
detailed descriptions of the karst features and
caverns and tracing the subterranean drainage
routes (see references). Dr Malott constructed
a topographic map of the entire area using an
aneroid barometer and plane table, as well as
detailed sketch maps and surveys of some of
the individual major karst features. Malott’s
methods would be considered somewhat
primitive by today’s standards but modern
methods have revealed only minor changes in
his work and interpretations.
Dye Traces and Drainage Basins
Ten separate fluorescein tests were
conducted to determine subterranean drainage
routes within the Lost River watershed
(Murdock and Powell, 1968). The results are
summarized in Figure 41, which accompanies
Figure 40. Additional dye traces have been
reported by Noel Krothe and his students at
Figure 41. Explanation of symbols and data for dye tracing results in Figure 43
( from Murdock and Powell, 1968).