Sedimentologic, Geomorphic, and Ecologic Analysis of Merchants Mill Pond State Park: Implications of Long-Term Management Grant uri icon

abstract

  • Merchants Millpond State Park is situated within the Bennetts Creek drainage basin in Gates County, northeastern North Carolina Coastal Plain (Fig. 1). The Park consists of 3,250 acres, 450 acres of which form the Millpond itself with a volume of 0.2 x 106m3 and a mean depth of 4 feet (NC DWO, 1997). The Park includes the following geomorphic components (Fig. 2). 1. A small, natural section of Bennetts Creek and associated swampforest floodplain occurs below the dam. 2. Above the dam is the drowned portion of Bennetts Creek that forms Merchants Millpond. 3. Lassiter Swamp is the upstream portion of floodplain swampforest above the Millpond. 4. A series of first-order tributary streams are deeply incised into and drain the adjacent uplands and flow into Bennetts Creek. 5. The surrounding uplands consist of moderately flat plain consisting of mixed farmland, hardwoods, and pine plantation. Varied land use practices over the centuries have resulted in extensive sediment accumulation within the Millpond basin resulting in the slow evolution of the stream and associated ecosystem. In order for the NC Division of State Parks and Recreation to best preserve and manage the Park and its ecosystem, it is essential to characterize and define the geomorphic, sedimentologic, and ecologic dynamics and develop an overall assessment of the Merchants Millpond system. The goal of the proposed work is to understand both the evolutionary development and ongoing dynamics of the Millpond, which is the heart and soul of the Park, and develop a scientific framework as the baseline for development of long-term management plans. The project objectives are to: 1. Develop an overall sedimentologic, geomorphic, and ecologic assessment of MMP. 2. Define the geologic framework of MMP. 3. Determine the recent (last 300 years) evolutionary history of the Millpond. 4. Produce a list of recommendations that will ensure the long-term preservation of MMP system.

date/time interval

  • June 2003 - May 2005