BEACHES OF LAKE MAUMEE. 721 



ridge. On the east side of Rouge River there is a conspicuous delta across 

 which low bars pass northeastward, converging into a definite beach line. 

 At the border of the river they are spread over a space nearly one-half mile 

 in width. 



The beach enters Oakland County near the southwest corner of Farni- 

 ington Township and takes a somewhat direct com-se across that townshijj, 

 passing through the northwestern part of Farmington village and leaving 

 the township in the northeastern -purt of section 12. It usually forms a 

 definite gravel ridge 3 to 6 feet high, and 30 to 60 yards or more in 

 width. It lies along the inner border of a sharply morainic tract. To the 

 east of it there is a rapid descent to the Belmore beach, but the surface is 

 remarkably smooth. 



Immediately northeast of the point where the beach leaves Farmington 

 Township there was a bay-like extension up to and beyond the village of 

 Franklin, and in this the beach is not clearly defined. East of Franklin 

 the shore follows the inner border of the moraine, and is usually in the form 

 of a cut bank, as far east as the meridian of Birmingham. The second beacli 

 runs parallel with it, scarcely one-half mile distant, and presents usually a 

 gravel ridge. 



Near Birmingham there is considerable complexity caused by a till 

 ridge and morainic hills which appear along the borders of East Rouge 

 River. The till ridge at Birmingham is barely high enough to catch the 

 second beach on its crest. Northeastward along the till ridge, however, it 

 soon rises to the level of the upper beach, but the indications of wave action 

 at that level are exceedingly faint, even where conditions seem favorable for 

 the development of a beach. The lowering of the lake to the level of the 

 second beach seems to have followed closely the withdrawal of the ice from 

 this till ridge and the opening of the Imlay outlet. Indeed, it is probable 

 that the opening of this outlet is the main cause for the lowering of the lake. 



The second beach from Birmingham northward to the Imlay outlet 

 is usually a gravelly ridge. It is exceptionally strong at Romeo and in the 

 vicinity of Almont. It lies along the inner face of the till ridge just noted, 

 from near Birmingham to Romeo. Farther north it traverses a tract of 

 weak and interrupted till ridges. Its course is, however, somewhat direct 

 from Romeo past Almont to Imlay. Near Almont it lies along the crest of 

 a small till i-idge that passes just east of the village. 



MON XLI 46 



