Catawba Module River Wrap Assessment
1.
Landsford Canal and other canals changed the flow of the water along the Catawba River in certain places.
Which statement does NOT explain why canals were built in these specific locations?
A. Local materials, such as rocks and clay, were used to construct the canal and keep water inside the channel.
B. At Lands Ford, the eastern bank of the Catawba River was steeper than the western bank.
C. River trees have specially adapted roots to hold the soil in place and prevent erosion.
D. In the transportation of goods, the canals avoided rocky shoals and waterfalls.
2.
Animal behavior is an observable response to stimuli in the environment. Which of the following is NOT an
example of animal behavior?
A. Osprey nest on top of large transmission towers or power poles along power line easements or cleared
areas.
B. A map uses contour lines to show the topography of the bottomland forest habitat.
C. Diadromous fish, like shad and sturgeon, are unable to swim upstream to breed due to dams along the river.
D. A few macroinvertebrates with a low biotic value are found in a water sampling, indicating low oxygen levels
in the water and poor water quality.
3. Which factors brought about the decline of ferries on the river?
A. Cotton agriculture contributed to the growth of textile industry in the south.
B. Canals were closed to river traffic in the mid-1800s, but the Lockhart Canal was converted to provide
waterpower for the textile mill.
C. Nation Ford, located between Rock Hill and Fort Mill, was part of a trading path between Indian nations and
helped to colonize the Piedmont as immigrants came from Pennsylvania, Virginia, and North Carolina.
D. In the early twentieth century, the increase in the use of automobiles led to the construction of wooden and
steel bridges to cross the river.
4.
Which resources found along the river influenced economic growth?
A. Nearby cotton agriculture and the water-powered hydroelectric station were two reasons for Hamilton
Carhartt to open a textile mill in the Red River area.
B. Patriot militia, under Brigadier General Sumter, camped along ford crossings because the armies could easily
cross the shoals with men and supplies.
C. Diabase rocks, which are part of a regional Jurassic Diabase Dike, made ideal locations for river crossings.
D. River Park provides a natural setting along the Catawba River for residents to enjoy, whether by foot on the
trails or by kayak on the water.
5. Erosion prevention protects area wildlife. Which statement best describes a conservation method to protect
animal and plant habitats from sediments?
A. Commercial and residential waste water from sewers is treated at the municipal waste water facility before
being released into the river.
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B. A macroinvertebrate sampling with a decrease in its biotic score would indicate poor water quality, since
these aquatic organisms are sensitive to changes in the environment.
C. Canals, like the ones at Land’s Ford, were man-made waterways to bypass rocky shoals along the river.
D. Canebrakes filter sediments from run-off by slowing down the flow of water near the shores of the streams,
lakes, and river.
6. Water is an essential part of an ecosystem, but it has been essential in providing power to growing industries.
Choose the industry that most directly relied on the flowing river water for powering the mills.
A. Hills Iron Works needed extremely high temperatures to melt iron. Water from the river was heated into
steam which powered bellows to blow air across a furnace, causing the fire to burn even hotter.
B. At the Catawba Nuclear Power station, water is heated through nuclear reactions to make steam which
powers a turbine and generates electricity.
C. Across the Piedmont during the 18th and 19th centuries, grist mills were constructed along streams and
creeks to utilize the force of the moving water to turn grinding wheels.
D. Cotton was transported on barges along the Catawba from plantations to textile mills.
7. Which historic timeline is correct?
A. Footpaths along the Native American trading routes led to a river crossing known as Nations Ford. Settlers
from Pennsylvania and Virginia traveled roadways into the Carolina backcountry. The rocky shoals near
Nations Ford provided the foundation for a railroad trestle across the river.
B. The Catawba Hydroelectric Station was built to provide electricity to the textile mills. The Catawba Nuclear
Station was built to provide electricity to a growing residential population in York County. The dam at India
Hook was built to control the flow of the river and maintaining the lakes along the river.
C. River Park opened to residents and provides hiking trails and areas for kayak launches. Riverwalk
development proposed access to recreation along the river. Celanese operated a facility that manufactured
cellulose acetate under its brand name.
D. The original dam at India Hook was rebuilt after the flood of 1916. The size of the reservoir, known now as
Lake Wylie, increased in size after the dam was heightened. Landsford Canal channeled water around the
rocky shoals near Lands Ford.
8. Which statement best describes an adaptation to survive in habitats along the river?
A. Clay soil particles are dense and don’t allow much air or water to seep through. During heavy rains, flooding
can occur and can carry sediment to the water.
B. Trees living along riverbanks must have strong root systems to anchor in moist, sandy soil that is periodically
flooded when water is released through the dam.
C. Large birds of prey fish in the waters of the Catawba River.
D. Dams built for producing electrical power have stopped the migration of diadromous fish to breeding areas
upstream. Construction of fish ladders would allow the migration path to be diverted or changed to move
around the dam.
9. Fishing strategies along the river have changed over time. Which statement does NOT describe a fishing
technique used by people or animals?
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A.
The Northern Snakehead fish was introduced to this area and has been found in Lake Wylie. It is a nonnative species and has few natural predators to maintain the population in low oxygenated water.
B. Spikes on the soles of an osprey’s talons help latch onto fish, especially when the prey is caught as the
osprey dives under the water.
C. Baskets of woven leaves and spears made from stems of river cane were used by early Native Americans to
catch fish. Stacking rocks in a double-V formation, fish weirs funneled fish into traps or baskets as they swam
downstream.
D. Diadromous fish like shad and sturgeon seasonally migrated upstream. Commercial fisheries, located below
Great Falls, took advantage of this migration and captured the fish to sell.
10. What factor was significant to the Revolutionary War in this area?
A. The Waxhaw community grew in population after the French and Indian War as immigrants moved south
along the Great Wagon Road to the Carolina backcountry.
B. Tivoli, the plantation of Officer Davie, housed a grist mill and a saw mill.
C. Horses and mules were used to pull ferries across the river.
D. Nation Ford was a strategic site for both British and American forces, since it allowed a passage across the
river. American Brigadier General Thomas Sumter led a militia brigade to camp there.
Answers:
1. C
2. B
3. D
4. A
5. D
6. C
7. A
8. B
9. A
10. D
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