183 



crossing- the bottoms was carried away. As the waters disappear from 

 the flood plain very little sediment is left behind, owing to the fact 

 that at this time the lower parts of the old lake bottoms are covered 

 with water which serves as a filter. If this were not the case the old 

 meanders that are now found on the flood plain Avould doubtlessly be 

 filled up. 



An inspection of the accompanying map will reveal the complexity of 

 these meanders. In Poinsett Lalie bottom the complexity is less than 

 in and below Spy Run Lake bottom. There is one long abandoned chan- 

 nel ife) crossing the bottoms from north to south parallel to the present 

 channel of the stream, and entering Poinsett Creek below Poinsett 

 bridge. The north half of this channel is well defined, having a width of 

 three to six feet and a depth of one to three feet. Its bottom and banks 

 are covered with a heavy growth of underbrush. Its northern end grad- 

 ually deci'eases and finally disappears; this may be due to the fact that 

 this part of the basin has been longer under cultivation. One hundred 

 and fifty yards south of the north end of channel fc, and twenty-five 

 yards east, lies a portion of an old meander marked ah. This channel is 

 probably younger than that part of fe indicated by de. The stream left 

 the old channel at d and occupied ahcg, a part of which, eg, is still occu- 

 pied; channel eg has probably been straightened by man. North of c the 

 present channel is artificial, cutting diagonally through the east end of 

 an esker at p. This portion as far north as was examined seems to be 

 veiy young. The channel through the esker is narrow, with steep sides 

 about ten or twelve feet high. This esker is eight or ten feet high and 

 about one hundred and twenty-five yards long; it was connected with 

 the uplands at p. Channel fe connects with a short, crooked channel, 

 marked mn, in the southeastern part of the basin. This channel marks 

 the lowest part of the southeastern portion of the lake bottom and was 

 probably the last part covered by the lake waters. This last fact is 

 indicated by the crookedness and blind ending of the channel. Between 

 points e and g there are two or three small meanders along Poinsett 

 Creek not marked on the map. Two abandoned meanders are found 

 between the lakes; one, kl, belongs to Poinsett Creek, and the others, rs, 

 to Spy Run Creek. The former is very recent, the stream having been 

 turned from its course by the artificial channel kg. Below point h at 

 the sharp turn in the creek, the bank on the east and convex side is 

 steep and nearly perpendicular; on the opposite side a flood plain 



