Poia Lake Cave Resource Monitoring and Assessment Part B: First to Final Sump

Germain, Eugene; Bodenhamer, Hans

Brief Description: Repeat monitoring of the Poia Lake Cave conducted fall of 2010, following up on 2005 establishment of resource monitoring sites. Photo monitoring is also repeated from 2005. Full Description: In September of 2010 VIP and photo monitoring was repeated in Poia Lake Cave for passages between the first and final sump. These types of monitoring were repeated a year earlier for passages between the entrance and first sump. Repeated monitoring indicates mineral features beyond the first sump were not damaged by visitors after 2005, but during the same period 9% of the monitored mineral features between the entrance and first sump were damaged. This contrast in human caused impacts to these parts of the cave is probably a result of lower visitation and more difficult access to cave passages beyond the first sump. Over 20% of the mineral features in the cave were damaged prior to 2005. The quantity and severity of damages, which occurred prior to 2005, in passages between the entrance and first sump compared to those beyond the first sump is not significantly different. It was not expected that biological features would be encountered during the 2010 monitoring trip because none had been recorded beyond the first sump in 2005. However, scattered bat droppings were observed on one flowstone surface approximately 250 feet beyond the sump. It is suspected the bat droppings are old and may be from an earlier time when there was another entrance to the cave.Although this report focuses on the findings of BHS Cave Club’s recent monitoring trip to Poia Lake Cave, it includes recommendations that are based on the club’s other activities and culmination of their experiences in all park caves. For background on recommendations not related to the 2010 monitoring trip readers are referred to earlier BHS Cave Club reports.