6 



Indiana University Studies 



DRAINAGE AND TOPOGRAPHY 



Only an oulline of the drainage and topography need be 

 included under this heading, since the topographic map has 

 been prepared expressly to exhibit them. In general, the 

 main streams flow to the west or southwest. Beech Creek 

 flows along the northern edge of the area, and enters Rich- 

 land Creek at the northwest corner. Cliffy Creek, heading- 

 near the village of Cincinnati, flows west, and after travers- 

 ing a number of remarkable meanders and stretches of sub- 

 terranean drainage, turns southwest into Plummers Creek. 

 The latter, with a course slightly north of west, enters the 

 area toward the southwest, and leaves near the southwestern 

 corner. The headwaters of Ore Creek occupy the middle 

 western edge of the area. Bridge Creek is the principal 

 stream in the ''American Bottoms". This stream is alto- 

 gether peculiar, as it empties abruptly into a cavern in the 

 sandstone bluff on the south side of the valley. Several 

 smaller streams in the western and southwestern portions of 

 the ''American Bottoms" are smaller replicas of Bridge Creek. 

 The waters from Bridge Creek and these smaller streams of 

 the "American Bottoms", after an underground journey, de- 

 bouch from two or three openings in the sandstone bluff in 

 the northeast quarter of section 34, T. 7 N., R. 4 W., where 

 they form springs in the valley of a stream which flows into 

 Cliffy Creek. 



The relief of the region varies from 525 feet above sea 

 level in the broad valley of Plummers Creek to over 800 feet 

 above sea level on the crests of a number of gentle promi- 

 nences along the ridges between the main drainage lines. In 

 the region of Cincinnati, where the main streams of the 

 region head, an elevation of 900 feet is reached. Thus, the 

 maximum relief of the area is" about 375 feet. A representa- 

 tive difference in elevation between the ridge and valley may 

 be seen in the vicinity of Ridgeport, where the crest of the 

 ridge is approximately 800 feet, and the valley of Beech 

 Creek is about 550 feet above sea level. This gives an im- 

 mediate relief of approximately 250 feet. The ridge between 

 Bridge and Cliffy creeks is also approximately 800 feet in 

 elevation, and Cliffy Creek valley is 575 feet above sea level, 

 giving a relief difference of about 225 feet. Bridge Creek 

 valley, or the "American Bottoms", lies approximately 650 



