SEDIMENT CONTENT OF THE WETLANDS SURROUNDING INDIANA UNIVERSITY-PURDUE UNIVERSITY FORT WAYNE INDIANA

The Indiana University – Purdue University Fort Wayne occupies an area that was a farmland in the early fifties. Several land use changes have occurred on the campus and flowing through the campus are two streams (St. Joseph and Walb Creek). Sediments samples were taken from riparian wetlands along the two rivers to compare the soil types of the two rivers. Multiyear aerial photographs were also examined to share light on the land use changes over the past 60 years.

A total of six samples were taken, three from the bigger river (St. Joseph) and then three from the smaller river (Walb Creek). These samples were processed, examined, and sieved in the lab for comparison. Three aerial photographs; 1950, 1973, and 2009 were examined and compared using specific landmarks to see if any land use pattern would help explain the result of the soil analysis.

The first 1950 aerial photograph is pre-campus that was mostly farmland. The 1973 photograph shows the early construction of campus with little farmland and more construction. Two thousand and nine photograph is the current campus with no farmland and minimal construction.

The soil samples from Walb Creek (sandy gravel) were more varied than the samples from St. Joseph River (coarse sand). Till is exposed along some sections of Walb Creek. The differences in the soil types between the two rivers is most likely due to the construction concentrated near the Walb Creek, the glacial till and the age and size of the rivers. Sieve size distributions and aerial photographs will be presented.