91 



shore, the\^ rise to considerable heights. These sand dunes 

 are met \vath behind those beaches which are not bounded 

 by shale or drift cHffs. It is here that the winds meet with 

 little obstruction, and they can sweep the dry sands inland, 

 until friction and the rise of the land prevent further 

 advance. Low, swampy ground is commonlv found behind 

 such dunes, and the beach in front of them is usuallv a firm 

 gently sloping sand beach. 



The present shore features of Lake Erie are of post-glacial 

 origin, and came into existence since the establishment of 

 the present St. Lawrence drainage system. The gorge of 

 Eighteen Mile Creek, as we know it, was cut since that time 

 by the stream carrying the drainage from the high lands in 

 the southern part of Erie County. 



Thus the stream which we have been studying in such 

 detail, was one of the last features to appear in the present 

 landscape. It is still actively eroding its banks, and 

 revealing fresh sections from which to study the past history 

 of this region. 



