The Geologic Foundation of Halifax River Urban Watershed Waterways, Trails, Roads, and Canals

Abstract

A series of Pliocene, Pleistocene, and Holocene ridges, and terraces, deposited as sea levels fluctuated during these times, built the geomorphic landscape that has interfaced with development patterns surrounding the Halifax River Urban Watershed in Volusia County, Florida. These ridges and terraces, which provide topographic relief and elevation on which to build, roughly parallel the modern shoreline given the underlying control of sea level and the resulting changes in the position of the ocean that formed these features. Karst topography is also present in the study area and represents another important geomorphic control on the landscape, especially in western Volusia County. Although the underlying geology of the region doesn’t preclude development in lower lying areas given the ingenuity of humans, it does serve as an initial control on the location of towns, roads, and certainly waterways.