PAPERS OX GEOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY 325 



beach sands separate the waters of the river from the 

 waters of the lake. It is easy to anticipate that at some 

 time of flood or stonn a chamiel will be opened across the 

 beach for the river to follow. "VThen this is done and the 

 water of the stream diverted, the river will have sulfered 

 a second intercision. 



This description of the present situation leads on to 

 an interpretation of what has taken place in the past. 

 About a mile south of the present mouth of the stream 

 and along the shore, is a curving channel that has both 

 ends open towards the lake. This abandoned channel is 

 interpreted as a remnant of the fonner valley of lower 

 Pike Eiver. It has been utilized as part of the Kenosha 

 harbor and locally is called a lagoon. 



Several features, evident in the field, point to the 

 proper connection of this abandoned channel with the 

 former valley of Pike Eiver (1) Several deposits of 

 peat, similar to the peat now lying underneath tlie .flood 

 plain of the river, are exposed along the beach between 

 the present mouth of the stream and the lower channel. 

 (2) Near the present mouth of the stream a line of wil- 

 lows similar to the willows within the valley of the river 

 continues south along the lake shore. Back of these 

 willows the land descends in a gentle slope towards the 

 lake instead of teiminating in a sharp wave-cut clitf as it 

 does elsewhere in the region. (3) A third, but not very 

 conclusive evidence, lies in the fact that the abandoned 

 channel is within the projected course of the meandering 

 stream. (4) Pile driving operations south of the present 

 mouth of the river encoimtered soft mud and logs in 

 such a way as to suggest that the lake has entered 

 in upon the flood plain of the lower part of the stream. 



The evidence seems to be sufficient to suggest that the 

 valley of the stream has been entered by the waters of 

 the lake and the stream actually shortened in its course 

 by more than a mile. When the second intercision takes 

 place, if such an event occurs, the stream will be short- 

 ened again by at least one-half mile. And unless some 

 means are adopted to check the migration of the cliffs 



