Relief map showing primarily the Minnesota part of the Driftless Area. The wide diagonal river is the Upper Mississippi River. WikipediaCiting sources --> See also Mississippi River The Upper Mississippi In this area, it forms the boundary between Minnesota and Wisconsin. The rivers entering the Mississippi are, from the bottom up, the Upper Iowa, Root and Cannon Rivers. The Upper Iowa River is a tributary of the Mississippi River in the upper Midwest of the United States. Root River may refer to Root River (Minnesota Root River (Wisconsin The Cannon River flows from Shields Lake near Faribault Minnesota to Red Wing in the U A small portion of the upper reaches of the Turkey River are visible west of the Upper Iowa. The Turkey River is a tributary of the Upper Mississippi River. The Upper Iowa River is a tributary of the Mississippi River in the upper Midwest of the United States. To the west, outside the Driftless Area where more regular topography is evident, tributaries of the Wapsipinicon and the Cedar Rivers are seen. The Wapsipinicon River (locally known as the Wapsi) is a tributary of the Mississippi River, approximately 225 mi (362 km long in northeastern Iowa in The Cedar River is a River in Minnesota and Iowa which is named after the juniper (also called " Red cedar " Trees

The Driftless Area or Paleozoic Plateau is a region in the American Midwest noted mainly for its deeply carved river valleys. While primarily in southwest Wisconsin, it includes areas of southeast Minnesota, northeast Iowa and northwest Illinois (see map at right). Wisconsin ( or wɪˈskɑnsɨn (French Ouisconsin) is one of the fifty United States of America, located in the north central part of the United States Minnesota ( Native Americans demonstrated the name to early settlers The State of Iowa ( is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States of America. The State of Illinois ( roughly ill-i-NOY is a state of the United States of America, the 21st to be admitted to the Union. This region includes elevations ranging from 603 to 1,450 feet (184 to 442 m) and covers an area of 16,203 square miles (41,986 km²). This region's peculiar terrain is due to its having escaped glaciation in the last glacial period. "Glacial" and "Glaciation" redirect here For the geological periods see Glacial period. "Last glacial" redirects here For the period of maximum glacier extent during this time see Last Glacial Maximum The last glacial period ^[1][2]

The term "driftless" indicates a lack of glacial drift, the material left behind by retreating continental glaciers. In Geology, drift is transported rock debris overlying the solid Bedrock.

Geological formation

The Driftless Area is a product of the last ice age, but in contrast to what happened in the regions to east, north and west, this area was spared the three phases of the Wisconsinian glaciation. An ice age is a period of long-term reduction in the Temperature of the Earth 's surface and atmosphere resulting in an expansion of continental Ice sheets "Last glacial" redirects here For the period of maximum glacier extent during this time see Last Glacial Maximum The last glacial period

"Retreating glaciers leave behind silt, clay, sand, gravel, and boulders — called drift. In Geology, drift is transported rock debris overlying the solid Bedrock. Glacial drift includes till (unsorted material) and outwash (layers deposited by meltwater streams)". Till is unsorted glacial sediment Glacial drift is a general term for the coarsely graded and extremely heterogeneous Sediments of glacial origin A sandur (plural sandar is a glacial outwash Plain formed of Sediments deposited by meltwater at the terminus of a Glacier. ^[3] While some glacial drift has been discovered, this is said to be of "pre-Illinoian-age"^[2] which puts it in the period of the Kansan glaciation, nearly a half million years ago. The Kansan Glaciation (known in the UK as the Anglian glaciation, Elster glaciation in northern Europe and the Mindel glaciation in the ^[4][5]

What is clear is that the region has been subject to the regular catastrophic effects of glacial lake outburst floods involving the cataclysmic collapse of ice dams holding in such bodies as Glacial Lake Agassiz, Glacial Lake Grantsburg, and Glacial Lake Duluth (see Jökulhlaup). A glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF can occur when a lake contained by a glacier (called Jökulhlaup if it was a Subglacial lake, Marginal lake drainage This article is about the Greek expression For the event in the Dragonlance series of books see Cataclysm (Dragonlance. An ice dam (or ice jam) occurs when water builds up behind a blockage of ice Lake Agassiz was an immense Glacial lake located in the center of North America. The proglacial lakes of Minnesota were lakes created in what is now the U Glacial Lake Duluth was a Proglacial lake that formed in the Lake Superior drainage basin as the Laurentian Glacier retreated A glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF can occur when a lake contained by a glacier (called Jökulhlaup if it was a Subglacial lake, Marginal lake drainage

The earlier local phases of the Wisconsinian glaciation are poorly understood, but the last involved several major lobes, the Des Moines lobe, which flowed down to Iowa's capital city on the west, the Superior lobe (and its sublobes) on the north and the Green Bay lobe and Lake Michigan lobes on the east. ^[6] The northern and eastern lobes were in part diverted around the area by the Wisconsin Dome, an exceedingly ancient uplifted area of Cambrian rock underlain by basalt. Basalt (bəˈsɔːlt ˈbeisɔːlt ˈbæsɔːlt is a common Extrusive Volcanic rock. The Green Bay and Lake Michigan lobes were also partially blocked by the bedrock of the Door Peninsula, which presently separates Green Bay from Lake Michigan. The Door Peninsula is a Peninsula in eastern Wisconsin, separating the southern part of the Green Bay from Lake Michigan. Green Bay is an arm of Lake Michigan, located along the south-west coast of Michigan 's Upper Peninsula and the east coast of Wisconsin. Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America, and the only one located entirely within the United States. ^[7] In earlier phases of the Wisconsinian, the Driftless Area was totally surrounded by ice, with eastern and western lobes joining together to the south of it.

In the adjacent glaciated regions, the glacial retreat left behind drift which buried all former topographical features, with surface water forced to carve out new streambeds. ^[8]

Characteristic landforms

Geology

Overall, the region is characterized by an eroded-down plateau with bedrock overlain by varying thicknesses of loess. In Geology and Earth science, a plateau, also called a high plateau or tableland, is an area of highland, usually consisting Loess is a homogeneous typically non stratified porous Friable,slightly coherent often calcareous fine-grained Silty pale yellow or buff windblown ( aeolian Most characteristically, the river valleys are deeply-dissected. The bluffs lining this reach of the Mississippi River currently climb to not quite 600 feet. In Minnesota, pre-Illinoian-age till was probably removed by natural means prior to the deposition of loess. The sedimentary rocks of the valley walls date to the paleozoic and are often covered with colluvium or loess. The Paleozoic or Palaeozoic Era (from the Greek palaio (παλαιο "old" and zoe (ζωη "life" meaning "ancient life" Colluvium is the name for loose bodies of Sediment that have been deposited or built up at the bottom of a low-grade slope or against a barrier on that slope transported by ^[9] Bedrock, where not directly exposed, is very near the surface and is composed of "primarily Ordovician dolomite, limestone, and sandstone in Minnesota, with Cambrian sandstone, shale, and dolomite exposed along the valley walls of the Mississippi River. Bedrock is the native consolidated rock underlying the surface of a terrestrial planet usually the Earth. The Ordovician is a geologic period and system, the second of six of the Paleozoic era, and covers the time between 488 Dolomite (ˈdɒləmaɪt is the name of a Sedimentary Carbonate rock and a Mineral, both composed Limestone is a Sedimentary rock composed largely of the Mineral Calcite ( Calcium carbonate: CaCO3 Sandstone is a Sedimentary rock composed mainly of Sand -size Mineral or rock grains. The Cambrian is a geologic period and system that began about Ma (million years ago at the end of the Proterozoic eon and ended about Ma with Shale (also called mudstone) is a fine-grained Sedimentary rock whose original constituents were Clay minerals or Muds It is characterized by "^[9] In the east, the Baraboo Range, an ancient, profoundly eroded monadnock has some of the most ancient exposed rock in North America, primarily quartzite and rhyolite. Baraboo Range is the usual name for a Monadnock located in Columbia and Sauk Counties, Wisconsin. A monadnock or inselberg is an isolated hill knob ridge or small Mountain that rises abruptly from a gently sloping or virtually level surrounding Plain Quartzite (from German Quarzit) not to be confused with the Mineral Quartz, is a hard Metamorphic rock which was originally This page is about a volcanic rock For the ghost town see Rhyolite Nevada, and for the satellite system see Rhyolite/Aquacade. The area has not undergone much seismic action, as all the visible layers of sedimentary rock are approximately horizontal.

Karst topography is found throughout the Driftless. Karst topography is a landscape shaped by the dissolution of a layer or layers of soluble Bedrock, usually Carbonate rock such as Limestone This is characterized by caves and cave systems, disappearing streams, blind valleys, underground streams, sinkholes, springs, cold springs and cold streams. A cave is a natural underground void large enough for a human to enter A sinkhole, also known as a sink, shake hole, swallow hole, swallet, doline or Cenote, is a natural depression A spring is a point where Groundwater flows out of the ground and is thus where the Aquifer surface meets the ground surface Disappearing streams are when surface waters sinks down into the earth through fractured bedrock, either joining an aquifer, or becoming an underground stream. An aquifer is an underground layer of Water -bearing Permeable rock or unconsolidated materials ( Gravel, Sand, Silt, or Clay Blind valleys are formed by disappearing streams and lack an outlet to any other stream. Sinkholes are the result of the collapse of the roof of a cave, and surface water can flow directly into them. Disappearing streams can re-emerge as often powerful springs, often having been cooled down by the water's journey through the earth. Cold streams with cold springs as it sources are noted as superb trout habitat. All of these features are found in the Driftless area.

Rivers

As rivers and streams approach their confluence with the Mississippi, their canyons grow progressively steeper and deeper, particularly in the last 25 or so miles (40 km) in their journey to their mouths. The change in elevation above sea level from ridgetops lining a stream to its confluence with the Big River can reach well past 650 feet in only a few miles. The Waukon Municipal Airport is reliably established as being 1281 feet (390. Waukon is a city in Makee Township, Allamakee County, Iowa, United States, and the County seat of Allamakee County 4 m) above sea level. ^[10] The Army Corps of Engineers maintains a river level in Pool 9 of about 619 feet above sea level,^[11] which covers Lansing. The United States Army Corps of Engineers ( USACE) is a federal agency and a major Army command made up of some 34600 Civilian and 650 Military personnel Lock and Dam No 9 is a lock and Dam located near Lynxville Wisconsin and Harpers Ferry Iowa on the Upper Mississippi River Lansing is a City in Lansing Township, Allamakee County, Iowa, United States. Maps and signs issued by the Iowa Department of Transportation indicate Waukon and Lansing are 17 miles apart on Iowa Highway 9. The Iowa Department of Transportation ( Iowa DOT) is a state government organization in charge of maintaining public roadways of the U Iowa Highway 9 is the most northern of Iowa 's east-west highways traversing the entire northern tier of counties This is a drop of more than 660 feet in less than 20 miles (and this along a very minor tributary of the Mississippi). Clear Creek is a minor tributary of the Upper Mississippi River entirely contained within Allamakee County Iowa. "The role of isostatic rebound on the process of stream incision in the area is not clearly understood. Post-glacial rebound (sometimes called continental rebound, isostatic rebound, isostatic adjustment or post-ice-age isostatic recovery) "^[12]

There are many small towns in the Driftless Area, especially in river valleys, at or upstream from the Mississippi. Small towns in a deep steep valley going down to the Mississippi are at risk every 50 to 100 years or so of a major flood, as with the wreck of Gays Mills, Wisconsin in August 2007, or the holding of the levee in Houston, Minnesota (on the South Fork Root River) at the same time. Gays Mills is a village in Crawford County, Wisconsin, United States. Houston is a city in Houston County, Minnesota, United States. The Root River flows through the Driftless Area of southeastern Minnesota and is a tributary of the Upper Mississippi River. Metropolitan areas have flood walls (See 2007 Midwest flooding). The 2007 Midwest flooding was a major Flooding event that occurred in the Midwestern United States in the third week of August 2007

The Driftless Area goes from Pool 2 to Pool 13. The first lock and dam to be built on the Mississippi was also called Lock and Dam No Lock and Dam No 13 is a lock and Dam located on the Upper Mississippi River above Fulton Illinois and Clinton Iowa.

The history of this portion of the Upper Mississippi actually dates back to an origin "as an ice-marginal stream during what had been referred to as the “Nebraskan glaciation” (see Beestonian stage). The Beestonian Stage is the name for an early Pleistocene stage used in the British Isles. The Beestonian Stage is the name for an early Pleistocene stage used in the British Isles. Current terminology would place this as Pre-Illinoian. "^[12]

The level of erosion often exposes Cambrian limestone of about 510 million years of age. ^[13]

The Mississippi River trench is an exception to the rule about shallow bedrock, and is overlain by large amounts of sediment. ^[14] As home to the formation of a substantial portion of the gorge of the Upper Mississippi, this enormous quantity of sediment goes down at least 300 feet under the present riverbottom at the confluence of the Wisconsin River. The Wisconsin River is a Tributary of the Mississippi River in the U ^[15] In contrast, as the River exits the Driftless Area "between Fulton and Muscatine, [. Fulton is a city in Whiteside County, Illinois, United States. Muscatine is a city in Muscatine County, Iowa, United States. . . (Pool 13)], it flows over or near bedrock". Lock and Dam No 13 is a lock and Dam located on the Upper Mississippi River above Fulton Illinois and Clinton Iowa. ^[16] "The course of the upper Mississippi River along the margin of the Driftless Area of southeastern Minnesota is believed to have been established during pre-Wisconsin time when a glacial advance from the west displaced the river eastward from central Iowa to its present position. "^[17]

Other rivers affected by this geologic process are:
In Wisconsin, the Chippewa, Trempealeau, La Crosse, Black, and the Wisconsin River, along with its tributary, the Kickapoo River;
In Minnesota the Whitewater, Cannon, Zumbro, and Root rivers;
In Iowa, the Upper Iowa, (Paint Creek may also be mentioned), Yellow, Turkey, and Maquoketa rivers;
In Illinois, the Apple River and the Galena River (a. See Chippewa River for several other rivers of the same name The Chippewa River in Wisconsin flows approximately 183 miles (294 km through The Trempealeau River (pronounced TREM-puh-lo) is a Tributary of the Mississippi River, 55 mi (86 km long in the Driftless Area of western The La Crosse River is a River, about 50 mi (80 km long in southwestern Wisconsin in the United States. Black River is a River in west-central Wisconsin and Tributary of the Mississippi River. The Wisconsin River is a Tributary of the Mississippi River in the U The Kickapoo River is a tributary of the Wisconsin River in the state of Wisconsin, in the United States. The Whitewater River is a Minnesota tributary of the Upper Mississippi River reaching its mouth in Winona County, opposite Buffalo Wisconsin The Cannon River flows from Shields Lake near Faribault Minnesota to Red Wing in the U The Zumbro River is a Tributary of the Mississippi River in the Driftless Area of southeastern Minnesota in the United States. The Root River flows through the Driftless Area of southeastern Minnesota and is a tributary of the Upper Mississippi River. The Upper Iowa River is a tributary of the Mississippi River in the upper Midwest of the United States. Paint Creek is a direct tributary of the Upper Mississippi River, rising in central Allamakee County Iowa, in and about the city of Waukon. The Yellow River originates in southwestern Winneshiek County Iowa and flows through southern Allamakee County receiving tributaries from northern Clayton County The Turkey River is a tributary of the Upper Mississippi River. The Maquoketa River is a tributary of the Mississippi River, approximately 140 miles (about 211 km long in northeastern Iowa in the United States. The Apple River is a Tributary of the Mississippi River, about 40 mi (65 km long in southwestern Wisconsin and northwestern Illinois in the The Galena River, also known as the Fevre or Fever River, is a River which flows through the Midwestern United States. k. a. the Fever River). The Galena River, also known as the Fevre or Fever River, is a River which flows through the Midwestern United States.

The Saint Croix River in Wisconsin also needs to be mentioned, as it was the outlet for Glacial Lake Duluth, forerunner to Lake Superior, when the eastern outlet was blocked by the continental ice sheet. Glacial Lake Duluth was a Proglacial lake that formed in the Lake Superior drainage basin as the Laurentian Glacier retreated Lake Superior is the largest of the five Great Lakes of North America. These rivers all have deep, dramatic canyons giving testimony to the immense quantity of water which once surged through them. The Wisconsin River drained Glacial Lake Wisconsin. Glacial Lake Wisconsin was a prehistoric Proglacial lake that existed from approximately 19000 to 15000 years ago at the end of the last Ice age, in the central Glacial River Warren, whose bed is now occupied by the Minnesota River drained the colossal Glacial Lake Agassiz. Glacial River Warren or River Warren was a prehistoric river that drained Lake Agassiz in central North America between 11700 and 9400 years ago The Minnesota River is a Tributary of the Mississippi River, approximately 332 miles (534 km long in the U Lake Agassiz was an immense Glacial lake located in the center of North America. There was ample water to dig a very deep, hundreds-of-miles-long gash into the North American bedrock.

Ecosystem

USDA climate map. The purple area is zone 4b, lavender 4a. The reddish-orange is zone 3b. Light green is 5b. (USDA, United States National Arboretum)

The climate is humid continental, displaying both the cool summer and warm summer subtypes as one travels from north to south. The United States National Arboretum is an Arboretum in Washington D The humid continental climate is a Climate found over large areas of land masses in the temperate regions of the mid-latitudes where there is a zone of conflict between ^[18] The United States Department of Agriculture has the region falling mainly in zones 4a and 4b, with the southern fringe being 5a. A few patches in Wisconsin are 3b. The winters in zones 4a and 4b can be quite severe, with the Mississippi freezing over.

Prior to European settlement in the 19th century, the vegetation consisted of tallgrass prairie and bur oak savanna on ridgetops and dry upper slopes, sugar maple-basswood-oak forest on moister slopes, sugar maple-basswood forests in protected valleys and on north-facing slopes, wet prairies along the rivers, and some mesic prairie on the floodplain further back from the river. The tallgrass prairie is an Ecosystem native to central North America, with fire as its primary periodic disturbance The Bur Oak, ( Quercus macrocarpa) sometimes spelled Burr Oak, is a species of Oak in the white oak section Quercus sect A savanna or savannah is a Tropical or Subtropical Grassland or Woodland Ecosystem. Acer saccharum ( Sugar Maple) is a species of Maple native to the hardwood forests of northeastern North America, from Nova Scotia Tilia is a Genus of about 30 species of Trees native throughout most of the temperate Northern Hemisphere, in Asia (where the greatest The term oak can be used as part of the common name of any of about 400 species of Trees and Shrubs in the Genus Quercus (from Latin Prairie, from the French prairie ("meadow" "grassland" "pasture" refers to an area of land of low topographic relief that historically There were probably also oak forests that contained no sugar maple. Marsh and floodplain forests were also common on river flood plains. Prairie was restricted primarily to the broader ridge tops, which were unfavorable sites for trees due to thin soils and shallow bedrock, rapid drainage, and desiccating winds; all these conditions were also good for carrying fires across the landscape. Prairies also occurred on steep slopes with south or southwest aspect (see Goat prairie^[9]). Goat prairies, sometimes termed hill prairies, or dry prairies are found mainly along the valley of the Upper Mississippi River in the Driftless Natural fire, which has long been vigorously suppressed, was essential for the regeneration of such prairies.

The Midwest Driftless Area Restoration Effort is a multi-agency cooperative effort to restore the landscape. ^{[19] [20]} The main issues are water pollution, from agricultural and animal runoff, and erosion. Water pollution is particularly critical in karsted regions such as this, in that it can degrade or destroy prime cold water fish habitat. Soil erosion, a bad thing in general, presents the Army Corps of Engineers with a particular problem, in that it requires them to dredge the Mississippi to keep the Mississippi River shipping channels open. The United States Army Corps of Engineers ( USACE) is a federal agency and a major Army command made up of some 34600 Civilian and 650 Military personnel Trout Unlimited is part of this effort, if only because of the superb cold-water streams the region supports. Trout Unlimited is an international Non-profit organization dedicated to the conservation of freshwater Streams, Rivers, and associated ^[21] A symposium was held in October 2007 in Decorah, Iowa "to share the results of research, management and monitoring work in the Driftless Area. Decorah is a city in and the County seat of Winneshiek County, Iowa, United States. "^[22] The Nature Conservancy is also interested. The Nature Conservancy is a US charitable Environmental organization working to preserve the Plants, Animals, and natural communities

Iowa Pleistocene snail

An apparently unique feature of the Driftless Area are small, isolated ecosystems termed algific talus slopes. Algific talus slopes comprise a rare fragile ecosystem stated to exist only in the Driftless Area of Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, and especially These refugia create cool summer and fall microclimates, which host species usually found further north. It contains at least one endangered species, the Iowa Pleistocene Snail, and a threatened plant, the Northern monkshood. An endangered species is a population of an organism which is at risk of becoming Extinct because it is either few in numbers or threatened by changing environmental or predation The Iowa Pleistocene Snail ( Discus macclintocki) also known as the Pleistocene disk, is a tiny air-breathing land Snail, a terrestrial Aconitum noveboracense, also known as Northern Blue Monkshood or Northern Wild Monkshood, is a flowering Plant belonging to the buttercup ^[23] The Driftless Area National Wildlife Refuge was primarily carved out of the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge in order to protect these species and their associated ecosystems. Driftless Area National Wildlife Refuge is a United States National Wildlife Refuge in the northeastern corner of Iowa, southwestern corner of The Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge is a 240000 acre 261 River mile long National Wildlife Refuge located in and along the Upper Mississippi

The list of protected areas in the region is extensive. Most of them, however, were established for reasons having little to do with being in the Driftless, but nonetheless incidentally locked up some valuable parcels.

A particularly noteworthy annual event is the rising of fishflies, a kind of mayfly endemic to the Mississippi valley in the region. The family Corydalidae contains the megalopterous Insects known as Dobsonflies and Fishflies. Mayflies are Insects which belong to the Order Ephemeroptera (from the Greek ephemeros = "short-lived" pteron These are aquatic insects who rise by the millions as adults to mate, only to die within hours. Attracted to light, they cause an evening's worth of misery, and a day's worth of cleanup in river towns. ^[24]

Wildlife is abundant. Opportunities for hunting whitetail deer and wild turkey are extensive. The White-tailed deer ( Odocoileus virginianus) also known as the Virginia deer, or simply as the whitetail, is a medium-sized Deer found throughout The Wild Turkey ( Meleagris gallopavo) is native to North America and is the heaviest member of the Galliformes. Fishing, particularly for brown trout in tributaries, as well as species such as channel catfish in the Mississippi is available, while ice fishing in winter is something of a regional sport. The brown trout ( Salmo trutta morpha fario and S trutta morpha lacustris) and the sea trout ( S Channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus, are North America 's most numerous Catfish species Ice fishing is the Activity of catching fish with lines and fish hooks or spears through an opening in the Ice on a frozen body of Water

Some sites unmentioned elsewhere in this article that should be mentioned are Bixby State Preserve and Spring Valley Caverns in Minnesota. Bixby State Preserve is located in southwestern Clayton County Iowa, about three miles north of Edgewood Iowa. Spring Valley Caverns are a Cave system in southeastern Minnesota near Stewartville in Olmsted County and Spring Valley, in Fillmore

Other characteristics

The Driftless Area is part of the Mississippi Flyway. The Mississippi Flyway is a Bird migration route that generally follows the Mississippi River in the United States and the Mackenzie River Many, many birds fly over the river in large flocks, going in spring north, and in autumn, south.

There are very few natural lakes in the region, these being found in adjoining areas of glacial till, drift and in moraines; the region is extraordinarily well drained, and there is rarely a place where even a pond can naturally form. There are also very few dams in that the valley walls and floors are very often fissured or crumbly, or very porous, providing very poor anchors for a dam or making it difficult to keep any kind of reservoir appropriately filled. There are no real waterfalls, but some very strong springs bear the name. A waterfall is usually a geological formation resulting from water often in the form of a Stream, flowing over an Erosion -resistant rock

A modern, man-made characteristic is the comparatively twisty nature of highways in the region, like in Kentucky, in contrast to the usually rigid east-west/north-south alignment elsewhere in the Midwest. The Commonwealth of Kentucky ( is a state located in the East Central United States of America. Here, the roads switchback up stream valleys or travel over ridgetops. The route of U.S. Highway 20 through the Driftless, and particularly in Illinois, is a good example. US Route 20 is an east-west United States highway. As the "0" in its route number implies U

The Driftless Area also offers something resembling Alpine skiing. Alpine skiing (or downhill skiing) is a recreational activity and Sport involving sliding down Snow -covered hills with long Skis attached Ski Sundown (Sundown Mountain Resort)^[25] boasts that their "highest lift has a greater top to bottom vertical than all resorts in Illinois, Missouri, Iowa and Minnesota resorts south of Duluth, and all but 2 Wisconsin resorts. " This is in the catchment of the Little Maquoketa River. The Little Maquoketa River is a direct tributary of the Upper Mississippi River. The extraordinary drop in altitude is indeed notable, and it indeed hosts something resembling Alpine Skiing in the otherwise flat Midwest.

Geographic extent

Minnesota

Further information: Glacial history of Minnesota

Mississippi River from Frontenac State Park, Minnesota (USDA, National Resources Conservation Service)

Corresponding to the southeast geological region of Minnesota, it begins at about Fort Snelling on the southeast corner of the Minneapolis-Saint Paul metro area. The glacial history of Minnesota is most defined since the onset of the Last glacial period, which ended some 10000 years ago Frontenac State Park is a Minnesota state park on the Mississippi River, southeast of Red Wing. The geology of Minnesota is the study of the rock, Minerals, and Soils of the U Fort Snelling, originally known as Fort St Anthony, is a former Military Fortification located at the confluence of the Minnesota Starting as a narrow sliver against the Mississippi, it widens to the west as one goes south. The western boundary is the Bemis-Altamont moraine. ^[26][27] Another more easily located reference to the western boundary is the approximate line of Minnesota State Highway 56. Minnesota State Highway 56 is a Highway in southeast Minnesota, which runs from its junction with U

The dissection of river valleys along the Mississippi is complete, and one has to travel westward to find remains of the former plateau. The historic vegetation was mixed woodland, with occasional goat prairies on southwesterly facing slopes. Goat prairies, sometimes termed hill prairies, or dry prairies are found mainly along the valley of the Upper Mississippi River in the Driftless ^[28] In the western section is "an old plateau covered by loess [. Loess is a homogeneous typically non stratified porous Friable,slightly coherent often calcareous fine-grained Silty pale yellow or buff windblown ( aeolian . . ] along the eastern border and pre-Wisconsin age glacial till in the central and western parts. Till is unsorted glacial sediment Glacial drift is a general term for the coarsely graded and extremely heterogeneous Sediments of glacial origin The western portion is a gently rolling glacial till plain that is covered by loess in places. "^[27]

The counties involved include all or part of Dakota, Goodhue, Wabasha, Winona, Olmsted, Dodge, Houston, Fillmore, and Mower Counties. Dakota County is the third most populous county in the US state of Minnesota. Goodhue County is a County located in the US state of Minnesota Wabasha County is a County located in the US state of Minnesota Winona County is a County located in the US state of Minnesota. Olmsted County is a County located in the US state of Minnesota Dodge County is a County located in the US state of Minnesota. Houston County is a County located in the US state of Minnesota Fillmore County is a County located in the US state of Minnesota Mower County (named for John Edward Mower) is a County located in the Aside from the southeastern suburban sprawl of the Twin Cities, Rochester is the main urban area. Rochester is a City in the US state of Minnesota and is the County seat of Olmsted County. Additional communities include Winona. Winona is a city in and the County seat of Winona County, Minnesota, United States. Red Wing is part of the greater La Crosse-Onalaska area. Red Wing is a City in Goodhue County, Minnesota, United States, on the Mississippi River. La Crosse is a city in and the County seat of La Crosse County, Wisconsin, United States. Onalaska is a city in La Crosse County, Wisconsin, United States and a part of the La Crosse Wisconsin Metropolitan Statistical Area

Glacial River Warren, in whose bed the Minnesota River now flows, entered the Driftless Area just downriver from present-day Minneapolis-Saint Paul, at Fort Snelling, over River Warren Falls, "an impressive 2700 feet (823 m) across and 175 feet (53 m) tall, over 10 times as wide as Niagara falls"^[29] (this has since receded to become Saint Anthony Falls). Glacial River Warren or River Warren was a prehistoric river that drained Lake Agassiz in central North America between 11700 and 9400 years ago The Minnesota River is a Tributary of the Mississippi River, approximately 332 miles (534 km long in the U Fort Snelling, originally known as Fort St Anthony, is a former Military Fortification located at the confluence of the Minnesota River Warren Falls was a massive waterfall on the Glacial River Warren initially located in present-day Saint Paul Minnesota, United States. Saint Anthony Falls, or the Falls of Saint Anthony, located northeast of downtown Minneapolis Minnesota, was the only natural major Waterfall on the The region is characterized "by the absence of glacial drift deposits, the sculpted topography, and the presence of the ancient limestone immediately beneath the soil and in cliff outcroppings. "^[30] The Minnesota Driftless Area did not reach the Twin Cities or any areas to the north or west of them; rather, the Twin Cities marked the edge of glaciation, with substantial terminal moraines overlying the region. A terminal moraine, also called end moraine, is a Moraine that forms at the end of the Glacier called the snout ^[31]

The largest protected area is Richard J. Dorer Memorial Hardwood State Forest, which contains some state-owned land, but is mostly private, controlled by state conservation easements. The Richard J Dorer Memorial Hardwood State Forest is a reserve of current and former forest in Minnesota's Driftless Area.

Wisconsin

Rock formation on the Wisconsin Dells

The Wisconsin portion of the Driftless is almost coterminous with what is traditionally called the Western Upland of Wisconsin, but excludes the most extreme northwest and southeast portions of the Western Upland (both of these, however, were denuded by catastrophic failures of ice dams holding back glacial lakes). In the US state of Wisconsin, the Western Upland is a Geographical Region covering much of the western half of the state A glacial lake is a Lake with origins in a melted Glacier. Glacial lakes can be green as a result of pulverized minerals ( Rock flour) that support

The border is defined by the catchment of the Chippewa River on the north, and somewhat west of the north-south line of the Wisconsin River. The Wisconsin River is a Tributary of the Mississippi River in the U Where the Wisconsin River turns west to join the Mississippi, the area to the south, to include the whole of Grant County as well as a small portion of Lafayette County are included. Grant County is a county located in the US state of Wisconsin. Lafayette County is a county located in the US state of Wisconsin.

Karst topography is less prominent in Wisconsin but nonetheless present. Karst topography is a landscape shaped by the dissolution of a layer or layers of soluble Bedrock, usually Carbonate rock such as Limestone The caves are small with cave systems essentially absent. Viroqua City Cave in Viroqua is one of the better known ones. Viroqua is also a genus of Jumping spiders. Viroqua is the County seat of Vernon County, Wisconsin There is an admission that Wisconsin geologists have been remiss in fully documenting their caves, inside or outside of the Driftless. ^[32]

It involves all or part of Pepin, Eau Claire, Buffalo, Trempealeau, Jackson, La Crosse, Monroe, Juneau, Vernon, Richland, Sauk, Crawford, Iowa, Dane, Grant, and Lafayette Counties. Pepin County is a county in the US state of Wisconsin. As of 2000 the population was 7213 Eau Claire County ( Eau Claire is French for Clear Water) is a county located in the U Buffalo County is a County located in the US state of Wisconsin. Trempealeau County is a County located in the US state of Wisconsin. Jackson County is a county located in the US state of Wisconsin. La Crosse County is a county located in the US state of Wisconsin. Monroe County is a county in the US state of Wisconsin. As of 2000 the population was 40899 Juneau County is a county located in the US state of Wisconsin. Vernon County is a county in the US state of Wisconsin. As of 2000 the population was 28056 Richland County is a county in the US state of Wisconsin. As of 2000 the population was 17924 Sauk County is a county in the US state of Wisconsin. As of 2000 the population was 55225 Crawford County is a County located in southwest Wisconsin, United States. Iowa County is a county located in the US state of Wisconsin. Dane County is a county located in the US state of Wisconsin. Grant County is a county located in the US state of Wisconsin. Lafayette County is a county located in the US state of Wisconsin. La Crosse is the principal urban area. La Crosse is a city in and the County seat of La Crosse County, Wisconsin, United States. Prairie du Chien, together with the Iowa cities of Marquette and McGregor constitute the only other metropolitan area. Prairie du Chien is a city in and the County seat of Crawford County, Wisconsin, United States. Marquette is a city in Clayton County, Iowa, United States. The population was 421 at the 2000 census McGregor is a city in Clayton County, Iowa, United States. The population was 871 at the 2000 census

Largely rural in character, landcover is forest, farmland, and grassland/pasture; modest wetlands are found in river valleys, and along the Mississippi. ^[33] Row crop farming is less encountered than elsewhere in the state. ^[34] Away from the Mississippi, the terrain is gently rolling, supporting dairy farms.

The Wisconsin Dells are the most spectacular part of the Wisconsin Driftless Area, in that their severely and immediately eroded glory represents a glacial dam burst, that of Glacial Lake Wisconsin, which drained to the east, into what is now Lake Michigan. Dells of the Wisconsin River (used in the singular and also called the Wisconsin Dells) is a 5 mile (8 km Gorge on the Wisconsin River in southern Glacial Lake Wisconsin was a prehistoric Proglacial lake that existed from approximately 19000 to 15000 years ago at the end of the last Ice age, in the central Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America, and the only one located entirely within the United States. Natural Bridge State Park is located near Baraboo. Natural Bridge State Park is an Wisconsin state park featuring the largest Natural arch in the state Baraboo is the largest city and the county seat in Sauk County, Wisconsin, along the Baraboo River. Mill Bluff State Park preserves what were formerly islands in Glacial Lake Wisconsin. Mill Bluff State Park is a Wisconsin state park located in eastern Monroe County, near the village of Camp Douglas, and a unit of the Mirror Lake State Park features a small natural lake in a ravine carved by waters blocked by glacial advances. Mirror Lake State Park is a Wisconsin state park in the Wisconsin Dells region All of these features are at the eastern edge of the Wisconsin portion of the Driftless.

Iowa

Northern monkshood (Gary Tonhouse, USFWS)

The contrast between what the rest of Iowa looks like and what the Driftless Area presents is often commented upon. Aconitum noveboracense, also known as Northern Blue Monkshood or Northern Wild Monkshood, is a flowering Plant belonging to the buttercup ^[35] For counties inland from the Mississippi, the evidence is largely confined to the valleys of streams and rivers. It encompasses all of Allamakee, and part of Clayton, Fayette, Delaware, Winneshiek, Howard, Dubuque, and Jackson Counties. Allamakee County is the northeastern-most County located in the U Clayton County is a County located in the US state of Iowa. It was established in 1837 and was named in honor of John M Fayette County is a County located in the US state of Iowa. As of 2000 the population was 22008 Delaware County is a County located in the US state of Iowa. It was named in honor of Delaware Senator John M Winneshiek County is a County located in the US state of Iowa. Howard County is a County located in the US state of Iowa. As of 2000 the population is 9932 Dubuque County is a County located in the US state of Iowa. As of 2000 the Population was 89143 rising to 92384 in 2006 Jackson County is a County located in the US state of Iowa. Its eastern border is formed by the Mississippi River Dubuque is the only metropolitan area. Dubuque is a city in the US State of Iowa, located along the Mississippi River.

Aerial view looking north, January 14, 2001, with the Upper Mississippi River at floodstage. Events 1129 - Formal approval of the Order of the Templar at the Council of Troyes. Year 2001 ( MMI) was a Common year starting on Monday according to the Gregorian calendar. WikipediaCiting sources --> See also Mississippi River The Upper Mississippi At center, the Black Hawk Bridge is visible. The Black Hawk Bridge spans the Mississippi River, joining the town of Lansing, in Allamakee County, Iowa, to rural Crawford County Big Lake is immediately north. Big Lake the name given to an open section of water surrounded by marshy islands in Navigation Pool 9 of the Upper Mississippi River, where the states of Iowa Just south of the bridge one can see the mouth of Clear Creek (Iowa), and just south of this, the mouth of Village Creek (Allamakee County, Iowa). Clear Creek is a minor tributary of the Upper Mississippi River entirely contained within Allamakee County Iowa. Village Creek is a minor tributary of the Upper Mississippi River, rising and exiting in Allamakee County Iowa. The rugged nature of the Driftless Area is evident.

The region is distinct from the "Iowan Erosion Surface to the west and the Southern Iowa Drift Plain to the south. "^[12] A line east of the most easterly tributaries of the Wapsipinicon River defines the terminal moraine that marks the western boundary of the Driftless, with the catchment of the Maquoketa River serving as a southern boundary. The Wapsipinicon River (locally known as the Wapsi) is a tributary of the Mississippi River, approximately 225 mi (362 km long in northeastern Iowa in A terminal moraine, also called end moraine, is a Moraine that forms at the end of the Glacier called the snout The Maquoketa River is a tributary of the Mississippi River, approximately 140 miles (about 211 km long in northeastern Iowa in the United States. The most western tributaries of the Upper Iowa, Yellow and Turkey Rivers flow east and south from the vicinity of this moraine. The Upper Iowa River is a tributary of the Mississippi River in the upper Midwest of the United States. The Yellow River originates in southwestern Winneshiek County Iowa and flows through southern Allamakee County receiving tributaries from northern Clayton County The Turkey River is a tributary of the Upper Mississippi River.

Outside of Dubuque, this region of Iowa is thinly populated. Dubuque is a city in the US State of Iowa, located along the Mississippi River. In the western section, agriculture and livestock raising are the norm. As one travels east, and as the valleys tumble down to the Mississippi, much of the land is virtually wild, with a great deal of it locked up in public hands. The state maintains an extensive number of wildlife management areas (basically hunting and fishing areas), along with state forests and state parks.

The most impressive area is on the Mississippi, between Pikes Peak State Park, opposite the Wisconsin River down to Guttenberg, where bluffs lining the river reach their maximum height. Pikes Peak State Park is an Iowa State Park located in northeastern Clayton County, situated on the limestone bluffs overlooking the Upper Mississippi River Guttenberg is a city in Clayton County, Iowa, United States, along the Mississippi River. This is apparently an Iowa continuation of Military Ridge, a catchment-defining divide in Wisconsin that was used for the Military Ridge Road, a portion of which is included in Military Ridge State Trail, both across the River in Wisconsin. Military Ridge Road was a Wisconsin road built by the US Army in 1835 connecting Green Bay with Fort Crawford ( Prairie du Chien) via The Military Ridge State Trail is a long recreational Rail trail in Wisconsin.

Effigy Mounds National Monument is at the heart of a network of adjacent parks, state forests, preserves, as well as national wildlife refuges, all of which preserve and illustrate the features of the Driftless, where "patchy remnants of Pre-Illinoian glacial drift more than 500,000 years old recently have been discovered in the area. Other sites in the US of similar history may be found at Indian Mounds Park Effigy Mounds National Monument preserves three prehistoric sites in Allamakee County "^[36] Additional protected areas are Cold Water Spring State Preserve near Decorah and Maquoketa Caves State Park northwest of Maquoketa. Cold Water Spring State Preserve is a 60 acre parcel state preserve protecting a spring that issues from Cold Water Cave, an extensive Cave system in Winneshiek Decorah is a city in and the County seat of Winneshiek County, Iowa, United States. Maquoketa Caves State Park is located in Jackson County, Iowa, United States. Maquoketa, pronounced muh-COKE-it-uh is a city in Jackson County, Iowa, United States.

Illinois

The Illinois portion is confined mainly to Jo Daviess County; southern parts of Carroll County and a tiny portion of northwest Whiteside County is also included. Jo Daviess County is a County located in the US state of Illinois. Carroll County is a County located in the US state of Illinois. Whiteside County is a County located in the US state of Illinois. ^[37] The region contains the highest points in the state, of which "the most notable are Charles Mound and Benton Mound, rising to heights of 1,246 feet and 1,226 feet respectively. Charles Mound is a gentle high hill in northern Jo Daviess County Illinois, near the small town of Scales Mound and northeast of Galena. "^[38] The region "has many sinkholes and sinkhole ponds. "^[39]

This portion lacks any real urban center. East Dubuque is really a part of metropolitan Dubuque, while Galena retains its small-town Midwest county seat look. East Dubuque is a city in Jo Daviess County, Illinois, United States. Dubuque is a city in the US State of Iowa, located along the Mississippi River. Galena is the largest city in and County seat of Jo Daviess County, Illinois in the United States with an estimated population of 3396

The valley of the Apple River has a major canyon, with Apple River Canyon State Park occupying much of it. The Apple River is a Tributary of the Mississippi River, about 40 mi (65 km long in southwestern Wisconsin and northwestern Illinois in the Apple River Canyon State Park is an Illinois state park on 297 acres (1 The mouth of this river, near Fulton marks the southern end of the Driftless Area on the eastern side of the Mississippi (see Lock and Dam No. 13). Fulton is a city in Whiteside County, Illinois, United States. Lock and Dam No 13 is a lock and Dam located on the Upper Mississippi River above Fulton Illinois and Clinton Iowa.

In popular culture

An interesting connection with the landscape of the region is Taliesin, home of American architect Frank Lloyd Wright, who advocated organic integration of a structure with its natural surroundings. Taliesin /ˌtæliˈɛsɪn/ in Spring Green, Wisconsin, was the summer home of American Architect, Frank Lloyd Wright. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the An architect is a licensed individual who leads a design team in the Planning and Design of buildings and participates in oversight of Building Construction Frank Lloyd Wright (June 8 1867 &ndash April 9 1959 was an American (of Welsh descent Architect, Interior designer, Writer, and educator who Taliesin itself is built from local limestone and set on the brow of a rugged hill, for the specific purpose of emphasizing its ties to the Driftless Zone of southwestern Wisconsin. Limestone is a Sedimentary rock composed largely of the Mineral Calcite ( Calcium carbonate: CaCO3

It is also provides the setting and the title for writer Tom Drury's 2006 novel, The Driftless Area as well as offering the location and is the central image in Lawrence Santoro's 2007 novel, Just North of Nowhere. Thomas Jay Drury is an American writer He was born in Iowa, in 1956 and received his bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Iowa in 1980

References

Other sources and links

• A Sand County Almanac: A book written by Aldo Leopold about the flora and fauna in the Coulee region. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR is a Cabinet-level department of the state government of Illinois. Events 1191 - Saladin 's garrison surrenders ending the two-year Siege of Acre. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. A Sand County Almanac is a 1949 non-fiction book written by American Ecologist and Environmentalist Aldo Leopold. Aldo Starker Leopold ( January 11, 1887 – April 21, 1948) was an American Ecologist, Forester and Environmentalist
• The Driftless Area: A Landscape of Opportunities
• "Driftless Area National Wildlife Refuge", Retrieved July 23, 2007
• US Geological Survey description Retrieved July 7, 2007
• National atlas description and map Retrieved July 7, 2007
• Driftless Area Partnership Retrieved July 7, 2007
• Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey map showing extent of last glaciation
• Driftless Folk School, Viroqua, Wisconsin
• A rather good anonymous discussion of the Driftless, from the Monona, Iowa Historical Museum, Retrieved July 13, 2007