Folks, this cave is about a hundred miles or so north of where I live (in Cedar Rapids, Iowa)... Steve Barnett and Dave Jagnow were/are dedicated spelunkers who discovered/and/or/rediscovered several (mostly unknown) Iowa caves... I sort of partially followed in their footsteps in my own researching of Iowa caves... Cold Water Cave was their greatest find, as far as I know... I re-discovered Horse Thief Cave, a closely guarded local legend/secret of the Cedar Rapids area... involving some of the founding fathers of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, (so rather hush-hush) but more on that later....... if anyone is interested....... Check out this link/article about Cold Water Cave. Gary
http://www.caves.org/project/coldwater/cwp1a.html
A HISTORY OF THE EXPLORATION AND SURVEY
OF COLDWATER CAVE,
IOWA
by Patricia (Hopper) Kambesis
Caving International, No. 8, July
1980
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Coldwater Cave, Iowa's longest and most spectacular cave is located in the
Coldwater Creek Conservation area, Iowa's northernmost and least known park. The
size of the active stream passage is unique in Iowa, a state in which most caves
are short muddy crawlways, for to date there are approximately 11 kilometres of
surveyed passage and potential exists for more. Coldwater has some of the most
beautiful and impressive formations found anywhere, including its series of
six-metre by eight-metre-long pure white flowstone-covered buttresses located in
the Gallery Section of the main stream passage.
Coldwater Cave was discovered in Fall of 1967 by Steve Barnett and Dave
Jagnow, two Iowa Grotto members, who had been investigating springs in
Winneshiek County for cave potential. They noted that Coldwater Spring issues a
large volume of water from the base of a limestone bluff. They had also heard
stories from the local people about the existence of enterable cave passage in
the bluff, which a farmer supposedly blasted shut because he had lost livestock
there.
In September, 1967, Barnett, wearing only a face mask, attempted to dive the
9 degrees Centigrade spring. On his second try, he entered a room approximately
six metres long, two metres wide and five metres high, which siphoned at the
opposite end. He made voice contact with Jagnow at the surface. On their next
attempt, the two negotiated a series of sumps totaling 400 metres finally
emerging into a walking-height stream passage. As they walked upstream, they saw
several large side passages.
The stream varied in depth from one metre to where it was over their heads.
The main stream passage averaged seven metres high by eight metres, across.
Barnett and Jagnow explored upstream for 850 metres on this trip.
On their third trip, Barnett, Jagnow and Tom Egert of Little Egypt Student
Grotto, Illinois, explored upstream from the siphon for five kilometres on a
trip lasting over thirty hours, They passed several large breakdown areas,
additional walking-height side passages, and the Gallery Section, a highly
decorated area about four kilometres from the spring entrance. This section of
the cave contains several large flowstone buttresses along with many stalactites
of varying sizes and shades from black to red to white. They ended their
exploration just beyond a large breakdown area on a mudbank, later to be called
the Jumping Off Point.
In June of 1968, Barnett and Jagnow completed a 52 hour survey trip, mapping
from the spring entrance to an upstream siphon, a total of five and a half
kilometres. The main passage beyond the Jumping Off Point was considerably lower
than what they had encountered previously; one metre or so. The stream averaged
knee-high with a layer of sticky mud on the bottom. They encountered two side
passages, the first of which, the Pipe, was not entered. The second, the
Waterfall Passage, was surveyed 45 metres to a dome. Barnett then explored the
passage 880 metres to an upper level waterfall dome, noting a passage near the
top which would require bolting. On the way out of the dome his lamp went out
and, unable to relight it, he found his way to Jagnow in the dark.
On these long trips, Barnett and Jagnow tried using space blankets and
plastic sheets in order to keep warm enough to sleep. Nothing really worked well
and often they woke up shivering. The prolonged periods in long underwear and
full wetsuits resulted in severe skin abrasions and sores. Needless to say, the
marathon trips were physically and mentally exhausting.
On their next several trips, Barnett and Jagnow explored and photographed
most of the downstream side passages. They did surface work, checking sinkholes
for another possible entrance, but with no luck.
The duo had been secretive about their find, not telling the landowners in
the area of the cave's existence. Some of the landowners were suspicious of
Barnett and Jagnow walking over their land, so they called in cavers from the
Minnesota Speleological Survey (MSS). The MSS spent almost a year checking land,
totally unaware that they were walking over Coldwater Cave. There were few
features for them to note, however, because the cave is deep, 28 metres from the
surface at its shallowest point, and the karst features are undefined due to the
glacial debris in the area. To this date, a natural surface entrance has not
been found.
Pothole Country, downstream
Coldwater Cave. Photo: M. Bounk
The Gallery, downstream
Coldwater Cave. Photo: M.
Bounk
In December, 1969, Barnett and Jagnow presented their find to the Iowa State
Conservation Commission. Shortly thereafter, The Des Moines Register published
an article by reporter Otto Knauth titled, "How Iowans Risk Lives to Find Huge
Cave," replete with color photographs. This article constituted the first notice
of any kind of the cave's existence.
On subsequent trips, Barnett and Larry Fattig dove a 35-metre sump at the end
of one of the downstream side passages, reporting a dome approximately six
metres in diameter, the top of which could not be seen, and with a subway-sized
passage about six metres up the wall. Barnett reported crossing over a drainage
divide while exploring a crawlway in another downstream side passage and in 1970
Fattig and Loren McVey explored about 300 metres into the previously unentered
Pipe, thinking it was the Waterfall Passage.
At the end of December, 1969, Iowa Grotto members designed a gate for the
spring entrance to the cave. It was manufactured for the Iowa Conservation
Commission and installed by Iowa Grotto members in May, 1970. At that time
Jagnow and Al Swenson made one last trip through the siphon to take pictures of
the Gallery section. On their way out, they locked the gate and turned the keys
over to the Iowa Conservation Commission.
Because of the cave's unique features and potential for commercialization,
the Iowa Legislature appropriated $58,000 to study the development of the cave.
From Barnett and Jagnow's survey, the state plotted the cave and contacted area
landowners concerning leasing land and drilling a shaft entrance. At first, the
state had problems getting cooperation from the landowners who were upset
because no one had advised them of the existence of the cave until now. Finally
on June 4, 1971, Ken Flatland, a local dairy farmer, entered into a lease
agreement with the State of Iowa to permit exploratory drilling and to construct
a shaft, shed and access road, in order to evaluate the cave for state
acquisition as a recreation or preserve site.
Based on the Brunton and tape map by Barnett and Jagnow, the state drilled to
pinpoint the cave's location in February, 1972, and on the third attempt
penetrated an inderground void. The void was investigated by camera to msure
that speleothems would not be damaged by ,onstruction of a large-diameter shaft.
Subsequently, the state drilled a shaft and installed a steel casing and
aluminum ladder with a wooden platform at the base of the ladder. Also, the
state erected a building over the shaft and enclosed the site with a cyclone
fence.
In December, 1972, a team of biologists sampled the flora and fauna of the
cave for documentation prior to the possible entrance of large numbers of
people. On January 22, 1973, Barnett and McVey showed the cave to Don Koch and
Dr. Samuel Tuthill of the Iowa Geologic Survey, and on the following day the
group accompanied a number of reporters on a press trip, which included
exploring a few hundred metres of the Snake Passage, located 150 metres upstream
from the shaft. This was the last trip in the cave by Iowa Grotto members until
the state's lease expired in January of 1975.
For the next two years, the State of Iowa, employing explorer scouts instead
of cavers, conducted a theodolite and subtense bar survey of one and a half
kilometres of the main stream passage and part of the Well Pipe passage, so
called because in it is a metal well pipe sunk from the surface. The survey was
thus able to correlate the cave with surface features. Also during this period,
scientists conducted studies on the composition of the air and water,
temperature, the fauna and flora of the cave, dating of cave formations, and
chemical, bacterial, paleontology and palynology studies. In addition,
consultants investigated the possibility of commercial development of the cave
and discovered several problems. Coldwater is a deep cave and to get visitors in
and out would require mechanical means-an elevator; the air is cold and damp so
adequate clothing would be necessary; all the known decorated passages are
stream passages and the water levels fluctuate with the outside precipitation,
thus requiring expen sive walkways to be built above the stream level; a
waterproof lighting system would be a necessity; and lastly, since the cave does
not lie on a major highway or close to developed recreational facilities, it is
not easily accessible to the public. In 1974, the Iowa Conservation Commission
published all its findings in an official report in which it was estimated that
the cost of commercial development would be well over a million dollars.
In 1973, Jack Leonard, noted photographer, made a movie in the cave which was
shown on Iowa television stations. The governor of Iowa made a broadcast from
the platform at the foot of the shaft. Although the cave generated tremendous
enthusiasm, the state could not justify a large expenditure for commercial
development at that time. The State of Iowa thus allowed its lease with Flatland
to lapse, and in January of 1975, the cave and the improvements were turned back
to the landowners.
After hearing that the lease had expired, Neil Saylor of the MSS contacted
the Flatlands regarding furthering the survey of Coldwater Cave. The MSS started
exploring upstream from the shaft, making several trips to the dome at the end
of the Waterfall Passage. The dome can be climbed three fourths of the way up,
but the last metre to the passage is too treacherous without climbing aids.
Attracting Saylor was the possibility of an upper-level passage and he felt
that access could be gained to it via the Waterfall Dome. The group tried
bolting the dome but managed to get only part way up. The length and nature of
the trip to this dome makes it difficult to complete work there, because the
Waterfall Passage itself is a little over a kilometre of crawling on hands and
knees with the last hundred metres a bellycrawl, so that by the time anyone
reaches the dome most are simply too tired to work. The 80C waterfall, the
continuous cold breeze in the dome, and the restricting wetsuits all, of course,
add to the misery.
The MSS knew from the 1974 Iowa Report that seventy per cent of the water
flowing out of Coldwater spring derives from upstream of the shaft. Some of the
upstream water that feeds the main stream comes from the Pipe and the Waterfall
Passages, but most comes from beyond the upstream siphon, indicating that there
is more cave beyond that point. In February, 1975, MSS member Ron Spong dove the
upstream siphon by himself using only a mask and snorkel, surfacing into a large
breakdown room which continued. Since he was alone, he did not go further.
During the course of the year, the MSS concentrated its efforts on exploring and
mapping the downstream side passages.
Iowa Grotto members made three trips into Coldwater in 1975. On the first two
trips, they explored portions of the main stream downstream from the shaft and
explored the Waterfall Passage. On their third trip, accompanied by Jeff Burkett
and Duke Hopper of Rock River Speleological Society (RRSS), the group went as
far as the Jumping Off Point and then headed for the spring entrance. Burkett
and Hopper, who exited the cave after a few hours were surprised hat so much
cave remained unsurveyed and that virgin cave still existed. In January, 1976,
RRSS returned to the cave to determine the possibility of making a club project
out of finishing the unsurveyed leads.
In February, 1976, after consulting with Neil Saylor, RRSS started its own
survey of the upstream section, with the MSS continuing its work downstream. On
the third weekend of every month for the next three years, RRSS made monthly
trips to the cave, oftentimes accompanied by members of the Iowa Grotto and the
Wisconsin Speleological Society (WSS). The group resurveyed the main stream from
the shaft to the upstream siphon; they mapped the Pipe Passage and all the side
passages in it; they surveyed the North Snake Passage; and they finished the
Waterfall Passage with all its side passages. In spring of 1976, an exploratory
crew discovered a dome several hundred metres from the Waterfall Dome containing
a walking-height upper level lead. Could this be Neil Saylor's upper level? In
anticipation it was named Gateway Dome, a gateway to the upper level. The RRSS
designed and built a climbing pole, and in July of that year dragged the pole
nearly three kilometres upstream and set it up in the dome. To everyone's
disappointment the passage ended in unstable breakdown after a few metres.
In Fall, 1976, RRSS members Tom Backer, Pete DeVries and Duke Hopper nosed
their way past the upstream siphon, which had eight centimetres of air space due
to a drought that summer, and came out in the breakdown room that Ron Spong of
the MSS had described. They were forced to return after noticing debris floating
in the water, an indication of rain. However, a team consisting of DeVries,
Hopper and R.C. Schroeder returned a few weeks later and surveyed 330 metres
beyond the siphon, discovering another large breakdown room and encountering
another siphon.
The platform beneath the shaft
entrance of Coldwater Cave. Photo: M. Bounk
The Jumping Off Point,
Upstream Coldwater Cave.
Photo: Dr. Warren
Lewis
Since passing the first siphon was such a dangerous proposition, members of
RRSS started looking for a side passage that might bypass the siphons. They
explored and surveyed all the side passages heading west off the Waterfall
Passage, saving its most promising lead, the Obstruction Passage, for last
because of the difficulty of passing a large flowstone block obstructing the
passage. A previous group that had surveyed the area noted considerable air
movement there. This could be the anticipated overflow route of the main stream.
After many months of trying to enlarge the passage, one small caver, the author,
was able to bypass the obstruction. Because of flash flood warnings and because
I was alone I explored for only 60 metres. In summer, 1977, a survey team made
up of small, skinny cavers returned to map the passage. Since only two of the
team members, Bruce Coulter and I could squeeze past the obstruction, we
explored, instead of surveyed, for about 450 metres. The passage was extremely
low and wet and we had to travel flat on our stomachs for the entire distance.
Nowhere was there even a place to sit ap. The intense air movement in the
passage flickered our !ights. We were sure the passage would open up just around
the corner but it never did. Exhausted by the unexpected long crawl, we turned
back. In August, Coulter and I returned with Steve Barnett and J.J. Erickson of
the Iowa Grotto to try the passage again, optimistic that this time we would
find ourselves in the main stream. We crawled for over 760 metres until the
ceiling dipped several centimetres, making further progress impossible. We did
note that if a channel could be dug for a few metres the crawl could be
continued since the ceiling rose again. Once more taunted by the wind, we were
forced to turn back.
In 1977, RRSS members made unsuccessful trips to several domes in the cave
utilizing the climbing pole. The passages at the top of the domes were either
too small for human entry, though they did carry water, or else were filled with
mud or breakdown.
In 1978, WSS members successfully bolted the Waterfall Dome. The passage at
the top was traversed for 25 metres but became too constricted for anyone but a
very small and skinny caver. After a few clean-up trips upstream, the RRSS moved
its efforts downstream to the walking-height passages. It discovered several
domes just off the main stream in the shaft area, all of which were climbed, but
without success. Also, the RRSS resurveyed many of the side passages that the
MSS had originally completed since it was conducting its own survey with
different objectives.
In 1979, the RRSS assisted four certified Scuba divers in another attempt on
the upstream siphons, but the attempt was unsuccessful. After this the RRSS
split its efforts between surveying leads downstream and climbing pole trips.
To date, with over 11 kilometres of surveyed passages, most of the leads
remaining in Coldwater Cave are low and muddy. No one has found the dome with
the subway-sized passage or the drainage divide area which Barnett described.
Most have given up any hope of finding an enterable upper-level passage; surface
work has been slow and unrewarding due to the depth of the cave, which makes
correlating surface features with the cave difficult. The one promising lead is
the upstream siphon area; since this is the source for most of the water, more
cave passage probably exists there. However, to Scuba dive the siphon requires
dragging the gear almost two kilometres in passage which is one and a half
metres in height. The Obstruction, with its air movement, probably does bypass
the upstream siphon area, but one would have to bellycrawl for more than 700
metres before re-entering the main stream. Further, most cavers cannot fit
through the small space over the obstruction, and besides would have to drag an
entrenchin g tool on the long crawl to enlarge the passage for further
exploration.
All in all, work in Coldwater Cave has been slow, tedious,
and hard for the groups involved. On the positive side, the cave has brought
together cavers from several different areas. They have worked closely together
and have learned much from each other.
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