Lost River - Karst Information Portal

to Lick Creek to the southeast as proposed
by Malott (1952). Hudelson Cavern (Malott,
1948) lies along the direct route between the
Sinks of Stamper Creek and the Rise of Lost
River.
The South Fork of Stamper Creek diverts
drainage into subterranean routes through one
or many swallowholes along the streambed,
according to the amount of water in the stream.
All of the subterranean drainage of the South
Fork of Stamper Creek discharges into Lick
Creek which lies down dip and topographically
lower. The upstream part of the South Fork
in the vicinity of Trotters Crossing (9, Figure
40) was found to be diverted westward into
the headwaters area of Lick Creek. All of the
downstream part of the valley of South Fork (7
and 8, Figure 40) is tributary to Spring Mill on
Lick Creek. The downstream end of the South
Fork was dyed during flood conditions, the only
time that water flows this far downstream.
Malott, on an unpublished map, indicated
Stop 6, Intersection of State Road 337
and State Road 56 at Livonia
Turn/bear right (northwest) onto State Road
337. Proceed about 6 miles and just past the
small crossroads Village of Bromer, turn right
(north) on County Road 650E at about 275
N. Continue north about 1.5 miles to County
Road 425N at the south edge of the Lost River
valley. Turn left (west) and meander through the
valley for about1.5 miles back to State Road 337,
emerging at about 490N. The Stamper Creek
basin is to the southwest (Figure 45).
Note the rolling Mitchell Plain topography
which will make an abrupt transition down to
the entrenched surface stream of the wet Lost
River several miles upstream of the dry weather
sinks. While there are many sinks, there is also
relatively thick soil over the limestone. There
are two major soil/sediment types: the redcolored
residual, limestone-derived soil called
terra rosa (Latin: red earth ) that is Tertiary in
age, and a buff to reddish wind-blown glacial
Lost River Road Log from Hardinsburg
Lost River Field Trip
that Half Moon Spring on Lick Creek (F,
Figure 30) was in part fed by the South Fork of
Stampers Creek, but the only drainage traced
to that spring by the fluorescein studies was
that from the Sinks of Lick Creek.
Update on Lost River-Orangeville-
Sulphur Spring-Blue Springs Dye
Traces (1992–1999)
Since 1992, many more dye traces have peen
performed within the Lost River, Orangeville,
Sulphur Spring, Blue Spring, and Spring Mill
drainage areas by a USGS study (Bayless, et
al; 1994), by the Indiana Geological Survey
(Spring Mill State Park studies) and by John
Bassett, Jim Keith, Andy Duwelius, and others
associated with the consulting firms of Earth
Tech and WW Engineering and Science
(1994–2000). These have resulted in a refined
basin delineation for the areas as seen in Figure
44. A picture says a thousand words.
silt (loess) Quaternary in age that frequently
overlies the terra rosa. The distribution of both
of these materials varies greatly. The soil cover in
this portion of the Mitchell Plain can be 80 or
more feet thick. Headward development of the
Lost River and Blue River drainages in future
millennia may greatly reduce the thickness of
these sediments as has occurred in the western
Mitchell Plain.
In this vicinity is the confluence of the
South Fork and the North Fork of Lost River,
and the Lost River nearly has its greatest
surficial flow at this point (the greatest surficial
flow is downstream of the Carters Creek
confluence, (Figure 45). Note that here the
Lost River occupies a fair-sized, normal incised
stream valley cut 30 to 50 feet into the soil and
bedrock surface of the eastern Mitchell Plain.
The incision suggests that the Mitchell Plain
was formed prior to the current Lost River
drainage being established. The valley is filled
with Quaternary-age alluvial deposits derived
from the upper Mitchell Plain. Here the valley
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