Providence



=Virtual Field Trip Background - Providence Canyon =


**Overview**

Also known as the "Little Grand Canyon," Providence Canyon is one of the most breathtaking natural beauties of Georgia. Identified by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources as one of the state's “seven wonders," the site is protected by Providence Canyon State Park, located approximately 150 miles southwest of Atlanta, in Stewart County.The canyon gets its name from the church that was built in the area in 1832. The original church (located close to one of the main canyons), was swallowed up during a particularly severe storm, when the ground beneath it simply eroded away. A new church was erected across the street in 1859. Created by mass erosion and poor farming practices in the 1800s, Providence Canyon is a prime example of the impact of humans on the earth. Drainage runoff from farms, which had cleared the natural wooded areas for irrigation purposes, cut deep ravines in the soft Georgia clay. In the early 19th Century, the area became state-owned and the Georgia Park services started implementing anti-erosion techniques. Some of these techniques included diverging the water, utilizing man-made and natural barriers, adding soil conditioners to slow **erosion**, and the re-introduction of plant life, including exotic vegetation known for thwarting erosion (such as Kudzu, although it was banned). Even with the techniques, the erosion has continued at an alarming rate, from several inches to several feet in a year’s rainfall. Because of the speed at which the canyon erodes, the visitor center has moved three times in order to avoid falling into the canyon. 



In the early 1800s, undulating hills and trees dotted the countryside of present-day Providence Canyon, eventually giving way to farmland once settlers began arriving steadily. In time ground erosion took place after repeated plowing weakened the soil and formed **gullies**. By the 1850s water seepage had deepened the trench lines by around 3 - 5 feet. Today the 109-acre park includes sixteen smaller canyons, which are loosely connected to one another. The canyons range in size, the largest ones reaching 160 feet deep, 600 feet wide, and 1300 feet long. The park also includes several chasms, **plateau****s, cliffs**, and **pinnacles**.The Canyon was not created like other canyons, via natural stream erosion or **seismic activities**. The clear-cutting of trees and intensive agricultural farming techniques sapped many nutrients from the soil. Because of the combination of soft soil, a general lack of ground cover, and especially a lack of well-managed irrigation, water run-off moved quickly across fields and into **rills.** In a relatively short time span, these rills grew to the massive **gullies** and **canyons** we see today. 
 * Physical Landforms and Features**




 * Geology of the Area**

The various formations of Providence Canyon were carved out from unconsolidated sediments and clays, which were deposited during the Paleogene period. This means that the sediment was deposited from about 59 million years ago to the Cretaceous Period - up to 74 million years ago! According to the "New Georgia Encyclopedia," the sediments that form the canyon are separated into four major geologic formations: Baker Hill (youngest, forms the top soil of the park), Clayton (visible in the top part of the canyon walls, rich in iron oxides which have been mined in some areas outside the park), Providence (makes up most of the canyon walls, 119 ft thick) and Ripley (the oldest sediment, forms the canyon floor). The material which makes up the canyon walls is commonly referred to as Providence Sand. The three main layers of the canyon include the fine, sandy upper layer, which is mixed with a whitish clay called kaolin; a coarser and more colorful middle layer consisting of yellow stains from limonite and purple stains from manganese; and finally, the lowest and oldest layer, which is made up of a black and yellow mica-rich clay. The canyon is also characterized by thin dark layers of iron ore, which have oxidized in some areas, creating a reddish stain on the sandy surfaces of the canyon. Providence Canyon changes rapidly due to surface water **runoff** and the **downcutting** forces of groundwater. The clay content of the sediments on the floor of the canyon helps make it more resistant to these changes, as well as the growth of vegetation, such as pine trees and laurel. Lateral erosion, however, continues because of the softer nature of the upper soils. The gorges have continued to grow larger and the rim of the canyon has continued to show signs of receding and crumbling over time. 

Geology of Providence Canyon. This picture was taken at the visitor's center and shows the general sand sediment profile of the Providence Canyon region as discussed above. Note the volume of transported parent material! ||
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