| Rivers
Rivers and streams are important sources for the sand
collector and are often overlooked in favour of the more
obvious sand found at beaches and dunes. But rivers should
not be overlooked as they can provide a variety of sand
types that can be easily collected. They can also provide
different colours of sand to those normally found at the
coast. When looking for sand at rivers and streams, there
are generally three places to look - the bed of the river,
the banks of the river and the river's flood plain, if it
has one. When searching the bed of a river for sand, one
of the best places to look is where the flow of the river
slows down at bends or meanders. This is where sediment will
be deposited and a range of different grades of sand often
accumulate. Gravel beds are also worth investigating,
although these are annoyingly often found in mid stream. The
banks of a river are good places to seek sand samples. River
banks form either from erosion of the surrounding land or by
deposition of sediments dropped by the river during floods.
You can often find thin layers or beds of sand along river
banks, even those that seem to be comprised wholly of gravel
or boulder clay. The flood plain of a river is the wide
flat area of land situated along one or both sides of the
river. It usually forms over long periods of time as the
river drops it load of sand and sediment when flooding
occurs. These flood plains can be quite extensive and it's
often worth following smaller side streams away from the
main river, looking for areas when the stream has cut down
into the flood plain. Even animal burrows are worth a look. Of
course it goes without saying that you need to exercise some
care when prospecting for sand along side rivers. Don't take
un-necessary risks to reach a sand bank, no sample of sand
is worth drowning for. Sandy river banks are also places
where care is required, as they can sometimes be unstable
and may collapse under your weight. |
