BULLETIN OF THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 

 Vol. 14, pp. 297-304, PLS. 32-36 AUGUST 14, 1903 



NORTHWARD FLOW OF ANCIENT BEAVER RIVER 



BY RICHARD R. HICE 



{Read before the Society January 1, 190S') 

 CONTENTS 



Page 



Introduction 297 



History of Beaver river 297 



Lake Monongahela 300 



Abandoned fluvial plains 300 



Pot-holes in present river bed 300 



Pot-holes in ancient river bed 302 



Differences in reported elevations 303 



Erosion of ' ' inner " valley by north-flowing stream 303 



Introduction 



In 1890, in connection with Doctor Foshay, the writer discussed some- 

 what briefly the abandoned fluvial plains of Beaver river, and attention 

 was called to the evidences of the direction of flow of the stream that 

 eroded the fluvial plain that is now found high above the present stream 

 level*. With the evidence that is furnished of the ancient slope by the 

 fragments that are still to be found, attention is here specially directed 

 to the evidence furnished by pot-holes found on the old river bed near 

 Rock point. 



History of Beaver River 



The life history of Beaver river may be divided into a number of 

 stages. One of the earlier stages is the time when it formed the line of 

 northern discharge for the upper Ohio drainage, the fluvial plain above 

 mentioned forming one of the later beds of the river at this stage of its 

 history. This stage of the river's history was entirely pre-glacial. With 

 the advance of the ice (the Kansan or pre-Kansan, as determined by 

 Leverett f), this line of discharge was blocked and the waters of the 



*Bull. Geol. SoG, Am., vol. 2, pp. 457-464. 

 tU. S. Geol. Sur. Mon. xli. 



XLIII— Boll. Geol. Soc. Am., Vol. 14. 1902 (297) 



