Glacial Potholes - Shelburne Fals, MA
Posted by: 
neoc1
N 42° 36.157 W 072° 44.363
18T E 685446 N 4719164
Glacial Potholes are found below the dam on the Deerfield River in a places historically known as Salmon Falls located between the villages of Shelburne Falls and Buckland in Shelburne, MA.
Waymark Code: WM1124N
Location: Massachusetts, United States
Date Posted: 08/02/2019
Views: 2
During the end of the last ice age, 14,000 years, the ice retreated and pools of water remained in the gneiss bedrock. At the same time the Deerfield River started to flow. Water rushing down the river below Salmon Falls, carrying sand and small stones, formed small whirlpools in these pools. The erosive force of the whirling water, with the sand an stones created these holes in the bedrock.
Today you can see at the Glacial Pothholes one of the largest collections of natural potholes in the world and largest pothole on record. Sign on Deerfield Ave. and Bridge St. leads visitors to the viewing area for the Glacial Potholes off of Deerfield, Ave. The signs are inscribed:
ANCIENT GLACIAL
POT HOLES
GEOLOGICAL WONDER
POTHOLES WERE GROUND OUT OF GRANITE DURING HIGH
WATER OF THE GLACIAL AGE BY WHIRLPOOLS ACTION OF
WATER AND GYRATING STONES OF VARIED SIZES.
SOME OF THE GRINDING MILLSTONES MAY STILL BE SEEN
IN THE SMALLER POTHOLES.
OVER 50 SUCH POTHOLES EXIST IN THIS CONFINED AREA
KNOWN IN INDIAN DAYS AS "SALMON fALLS".
THESE POTHOLES VARY IN SIZE FROM 6 INCHES TO 39
FEET IN DIAMETER. THE LATTER BEING THE WORLDS
LARGEST POTHOLE ON RECORD.
400 FEET
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