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ocali- above ,!ream Cheat ilts to )f the 'posits Cheat distin- Ie is a ~ cave ,loped erived 'I. The ~vel. >osited ~ cave fine- e. sits of iiseum 1 with :oliseum G.S. Springer, J.S. Ki"/GeomQrplwlogy 18 (J997) 91-100 boulders up to 8 m in intermediate diameter. Coli- seum Rapids is developed atop resistant sandstones of the Price Formation. The downstream end of the rapids is a knickpoint where the sandstones are fIrst exposed along the western limb of an anticline. Eight caves are found in prominent limestone cliffs lining the outside of the river bend (Fig. 2). The majority of the caves are located <!: 6 m 'above Cheat River and rarely inundated by the river. The overbank deposits of these caves are discussed below: Flotsam Point Cave: This small cave lies 5 m above Cheat River and contains flotsam deposited by the 1985 flood. Ledges near the entrance and the slopes above the cave are covered by flotsam de- posited by the 1985 flood. No clastic sediments in the cave are attributable to flooding by the river. Flotsam Rock Cave: This small cave lies 2-to-5 m above Cheat River and is within the 1 year flood recurrence interval of the Cheat River. The cave Stratigraphic Column G5-92- o Vefy Fine Sand 95 contains abundant flotsam deposited atop cobbles, but no fIne-grained sediments. Rubber Softball and Airtight Hole caves: These small caves lie - 8 m above Cheat River and con- tain plastic and rubber flotsam deposited by the 1985 flood. No fme-grained sediments are present in either cave. Colluvium Breath Cave: This cave is located 7 m above Cheat River. The southwestern entrance of the cave was inundated by the 1985 flood (Fig. 3). Floodwaters flowing into the cave formed a small logjam 5 m inside the entrance. Beyond the logjam is a blanket-like deposit of sand. Two units are present in the sand deposit (column 05-92-6; Fig. 3): a massive 3-t0-8 cm thick very fine sand and an underlying 5 cm thick coarse sandy loam. Macroor- ganics, up to 5 em long, were deposited atop and within both sands. Beneath these sands is a massive, 20 cm thick sandy loam which contains live roots II , ., '! - -- -- Loamy Sand ........... Fungal Mal Separales Units I.oamy Sand .-....<~~~ .. E ....<."Cliff Face o 5 10m 40 Fig. 3. Facies map of Colluvium Breath Cave. Stratigraphic column GS-92-6_contains slackw81er sediments atop phreatic facies- sediments; Small. 1 em thick deposits of loamy silt are found in the vicinity of . A . . I I 17 Svmbol Kev Vadose Facies ~ Gravity Deposits o Overbank G Cave Stream - Wood Particles E=Entrance . ~20 . C . " Live roots ..;~ ~.~.. - -.. - Sandy Loam Diamicton 60 -. -- Phreatic Facies B Rhythmic Silt-Clay G Bedrock