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| The common flow elevation of the "Andes River" |
The water that runs through the Britannia Faire's "Andes River" manifests itself further upstream where the ground water, having reached levels of saturation, flows downhill to the lowest common elevation point. Water draining from all directions, from either rain or runoff, converges and begins to flow above ground forming a first order stream. That water continues to flow downstream until it exits into Monroe Lake, not more than a mile north of Britannia. Water drains from the lake at a controlled rate (due to man-made damming) to form a stream called Baker Fork (--> Andes River). Before the water reaches the lands of BF, two additional tributaries drain into the main stream that flows along the land’s edge.
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| The same location as prior, looking upstream during periods of increased precipitation. |
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| Large scale drainage basins - www.mvd.usace.army.mil |
Due to geography and the surrounding topography (elevation), the Andes River just happens to be the exit of a series of successively smaller but higher elevation drainage basins. A drainage basin or (in North American usage) watershed, is an area of land where surface water from precipitation such as rain, melting snow, or ice converges to a single point at a lower elevation.
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| Small Scale Drainage Features- www.inspiritoo.com |
This is most commonly the exit of the basin, where the waters join another water-body, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean.
The Britannia Faire Battle Field is after all a giant flood plane. Its relatively flat surface has been shaped by multiple flooding events over its years of existence. By looking at this photo, one can infer the flood plane stretches as far left as to the tree line, given the geomorphology of the surface. "Water all the way to the tree line... complete shenanigans" one might say, but land geography don't lie. All we need is a major rain event to prove this assumption.
On July 9th, 2013 a storm rolled into the area that would dump more water on the surrounding land faster than the stream could carry it away. My character just happened to be keeping care of the land during this time and I attempted to document this incredible act of nature I was blessed to witness from start to finish. I will forever amazed and humbled by the power of water.
On a warm and sunny day, a storm front rolled over the valley in a matter of minutes. The once surrounding songs of the birds ceased before the once calm trees began to sway violently with the incoming front.
Britannia Faire receives precipitation on a regular basis. Without such the grass would burn to an ugly yellow-brown and feel like straw on the bare feet, the stream would run dry along with the groundwater that replenishes the well, and the fauna would have to move on to "greener pastures" as the saying goes. However, with all things moderation is the key.
After a typical early spring rain, the foot bridge crick runs at a higher level given that the ground is still plenty saturated with the snow-melt water.
As small as this brook seems to be, the roll it plays in the drainage of the surrounding land is vital.
Without this fissure carved into the surrounding land, the entire lower lawn would be saturated, muddied, and squishy beneath the foot. One could forget all about getting a four-wheeled vehicle up to the tavern's front without scarring it's surface deep with ruts.
These spring photos were placed here as a comparison for the images to come. Now, lets get back to the July storm I was talking about --> After the front rolled in, all at once a wall of rain could be seen overtaking the valley. Going from completely dry to unbelievably drenched in all of two minutes, the sky opened up and Britannia Faire and all of the surrounding watershed territories found itself smack dab in the middle of a squall. It rained...
...and it poured. Oh how the water came down and refused to let up. Being me I decided that since I couldn't complete any of the work I had planned for the day, that this would be a great time to go for a run, and appreciate the forces of nature I found myself surrounded by. My quick run takes me first to the end of the Faire land in the Back 40, then retraces that path past the front entrance to the red bridge before the final turn off next to the massive limestone outcropping and back to the Tavern again. All and all, the run is two and a half miles when your all said and done. The rain was warm, so I stripped down to a pair of shorts and a sports bra and headed out to the back 40.
This day, I would barely make it past the first mile; as when I began my return from the Back 40, I was detracted by the footbridge and marveled at the brook having crested its banks. I ran for my camera and began documenting from that point forward. I believe a majority of the photos that follow require no description.
You may have noticed that in the pictures above and the one below, it seems to no longer be raining and the massive storm front has blown away. However, that fact did nothing hinder the high waters yet to come. As aforementioned, the Britannia Faire valley is at the bottom of a drainage basin. The flood-level waters to follow were the direct result of the effect water runoff can have on a drainage system too small for the precipitation event.
From
here I decided that I would cease my fascination with the flooded foot
bridge, explore the rest of the land and take inventory of how things
were holding up. My
first worry was how the Faire made Troll Bridge was holding up in the
increased water flow. The captures to follow will begin from Troll
Bridge and flow back towards the Tavern.
For
those who are unfamiliar with the Troll bridge, water usually flows at a
calm rate 5-6 feet below the bridge. However, during this moment and
the video to follow, the water had rose to just six inches from the
bottom of the bridge structure.
As fate would have it, I arrived at the Troll Bridge just in time to witness peak drainage levels.
As I stood on the bridge mesmerized by the force of water merging with the main stream, watching huge pieces of driftwood and even full trees undercut from their roots and ripped from their bases flow by; in all of a few simple minutes, I felt my feet getting wet with a steady flow of water. The water had peaked the bridge and began to flow over top the surface. Gratefully, the bridge's structure did not fall to the force of the river and remains standing to this day.
To those unfamiliar with the Faire lands, before you cross into the main play area, your vehicle must forge a small stream. *Segue-->* This is both a good and a bad thing. Many people have asked for a permanent bridge to be built across the causeway so the underside of their vehicles don't bottom out on the rocks during the awkward angles created by this passing. However the truth is, as convenient as the bridge would be, for this to truly be a period event, we want to deter people from bringing their cars onto the land as much as possible. The initial idea was to have individuals park their cars in the parking area and carry their things in across the bridge or wait until the War Horse (4 wheeler with trailer) came to escort individuals across the water to their selected sight. However, as we found out, people now-a-days are both lazy, impatient, and overly entitled; not wanting to help themselves or us with the period feel, but rather bend everything to their own devices. (Harsh but SO TRUE!!) This No Dragon (car) Allowed proclamation, was quickly broken and never made right again. But back to the flood event.
What we are looking above and below is not the stream, but rather the entrance road into the land between the Fight Pit and New Teutoburg. Try convincing your dragon to forge this river, as you might be better traveling the "streets" of BF by canoe right now.
A reminder to how this track of land normally looks...
And again drowned in the flooded dress-sphere.
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| Panoramic view of the entrance road. |
Continuing our adventure down stream/street, this being the low point in the road, was the spot where water was rejoining the main stream. However, the stream had recently peaked capacity and no longer was accepting additional water.
Given that the water could no longer drain into the stream, the standing water level rose enough to back-flow into Bandit Camp. The rain had picked up again for a little bit and a good sized thunderclap was recorded as part of the soundscape, setting a great background for the following footage.
In all but a few minutes, I watched as Bandit Camp was beginning to be overtook by the water militia.
A peek back from the Tavern side entrance to Bandit Camp revealed, that while I was busy watching the assault on BC territory, the road was completely overtook and now flowed like part of the river itself.
Having completed my walk-through of the front of the property, my sight turned back to Tavern land just in time to witness the next assault on the Battle Field. From start to finish I looked on, as there was nothing else that could be done to stop the water from peaking the highest bank the land had created as resistance.
In no time at all the Battle Field began to resemble the Beaches of Normandy with militant forces arriving from water to storm and take over the land.
Had I keep recording, one would have observed the slow creep of water advancing on the land, bring back up forces of driftwood, fallen trees, and eventually the beached whale.
I could sit back no longer. It was time to get into the action and record from a different perspective.
On my way into the battle grounds I watched as the forces of water carried this massive log on top of it's rapids, to beach it as guard to the stream. This log was so massive, there was no way my 18" chainsaw would be able to take it on. It resided here the rest of the season and began to be referred to as the beached whale.
Having been constructed on top of higher elevation, Bounty's Keep remained out of the high water's reach.
Adding a bit of story line to the mix, my mind joked and I remember laughing aloud at "What a pretty moat the Castle acquired, and how any persons launching an attack would have better luck coming by boat."
Having waded through knee deep water on the battle field, I made it over to the high spot for a different set of captures.
Curious, I wandered to the end of the field to check out how the Britannia Faire Swimming Hole was looking. It honestly looked like a great rafting trip, but nothing I would ever consider swimming in.
And now to the feature of this flood event: The underwater stone circle.
All of her stones would remain standing. Only subject to a foot of water they would go on to make nice driftwood blocks during this event. While this would make clean up longer process, it also would be a beneficial one, as all that driftwood would become usable wood once gathered and properly dried out.
As the storm resided and the evening went on, the water levels would eventually recede and drain from the land. A warm evening began to set in and the Faire became enveloped in a thick and heavy fog.
The following day dawned with a mission to assess damage. As it turns out the bridge would be the hardest hit area taking extreme water damage the previous day which resulted in the center screw looking its grip in the once structurally solid beam.
The tall grass and even some of the smaller saplings that once lined the road were flattened in the direction of flow by the high waters that ran over top.
Further downstream the same tread in the grass was witnessed.
Half covered in water, I was happy to see that the stairs Dead, Mateo, and I constructed the year prior held up strong through the water's rage phase.
With the water's retreat the remaining field wreckage could be assessed. The Verdict: The entire month of July's worth of firewood.
With the days to follow, I would find myself visiting my family back in New York leaving the returned Anvil and a visiting Phoenix in charge for the following four days. While I was out, they would go onto collect and remove the smaller bits of driftwood from the field and give most of the lawn a much needed hair cut as the increased water level and added nutrient deposit from the flood waters made the grass grow at an incredible pace.
As with all things, with time comes the healing. It is a slow process, but a natural one. One that requires respect and patience. This spectacular event was no different. May the images humble you and fill you with an additional appreciation to nature as it did me.
In respect to water: To some, water can bless or it can kill. The very noise of the ocean, to most soothing, can create waves and precipitation events of immeasurable destruction. Similarly, waves of emotion can cleanse us or, bursting out inappropriately, be profoundly damaging. Water takes the line of least resistance, yet remains completely itself. Waves may fret around large obstructions, but the river’s impetus carries it inexorably onward.
“Empty your mind, be formless, shapeless - like water. Now you put water into a cup, it becomes the cup, you put water into a bottle, it becomes the bottle, you put it in a teapot, it becomes the teapot. Now water can flow or it can crash. Be water, my friend.” – Bruce Lee
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