Field Trips by Ellin Beltz

Field Trip -- Chicago River

Northeastern Illinois University. Principles of Sedimentation. Fall 1999.
Go with the flow
The class feels the force of the flow above the waterfall.
Reading the map
Kendra and Sara compare the map to the ground.
Kevin walks on dam
Kevin walks on the concrete dam structure at the Chicago River waterfall.

The waterfall in the Chicago River is at the confluence of the River with the North Shore Channel. I taught "Seds" twice at NEIU and took both classes to the river. This was an average flow. I have seen it so dry you can walk across the River above the dam, but after rain this whole spillway runs fast and hard. This is an excellent place to see birds and wildlife along the Chicago River. The waterfall is a short walk southeast of NEIU within the City limits of Chicago.

Reference material to prepare for the field trip.

Geological Illustrations

Standard rock symbols . Complete Geologic Column . Ordovician fossils . Silurian fossils . Devonian fossils . Mississippian fossils . Pennsylvanian fossils . Illinois top of rocks map . LaSalle and Kanakakee geological column . LaSalle area cross-section . Northern Illinois top of rocks map

Travel back in time...
William Alden's 1902 Chicago Folio
Learn Paleozoic fossils...
Read my First Families of Chicago
Visit my home page Ellin Beltz - ebeltz@ebeltz.net
Updated: January 10, 2008
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