| OCR Text |
Show streams. These areas have been highly successful in producing crops, especially hay and other feed which locally is in demand by the livestock indus- try. Farmers have been successful in maintaining their lands in productivity, even during droughts, and their produce has had a stabilizing influence upon the surrounding country. Many farmers now are installing wells, primarily for livestock use, and are building small ponds to provide their own water supply for irrigation use. A dependable water sup- ply will provide greater stability over a larger area and to more people than any other single measure. One step toward greater stability was the adop- tion of the Shelterbelt Project in the 1930-40 drought period. Thousands of miles of trees were successfully planted in the effort to stabilize the soil and stop losses from wind erosion. MineraJs generally are less varied than in the regions to the west. Lignite is exploited in North Dakota, and gas and oil are extensively exploited in Wyoming and Kansas. The Sand Hills.-The plains region contains two areas of sufficient size to distinguish them from the larger region. The larger one is the Sand Hills region of north central Nebraska. The land surface consists of low hills of sand, and enclosed depressions containing marshes or small lakes. These depressions are moist enough to grow hay. The entire area is used for grazing, and the marsh grass is cut for hay. The soil is unstable when plowed. "Blowouts" are caused by wind erosion where overgrazing has removed the grass cover. The present and best use of this land is grazing. The Flint Hills.-An area of rolling terrain with shallow rocky soils known as the Flint Hills lies in east central Kansas. The limestone soils are too thin and stony to permit successful cultivation. Moreover., these uplands naturally support a fine growth of bluestem grasses. The area conse- quently htas become a fine cattle-grazing region. Small areas of cultivated land are confined to the valley bottoms. Because of overuse, adjustments of grazing paressure to the forage-producing capacity are needed. The Easte in Border A distinguishing feature of the eastern border region is tlie result of heavier precipitation. There is no sharp line of demarcation between the plains and the border area, but the eastern border is es- sentially a. humid area. Average annual rainfall 168 increases evenly from west to east, and the per- centage of drought years decreases. The greater humidity results in higher agricul- tural productivity and more consistent crop yields. Farms are small and population density greater than in the area to the west. Two large cities, Kansas City and Omaha, are in the region and numerous smaller cities are scattered throughout the area. Most of the eastern border is part of the Corn Belt. Corn, oats, wheat, grasses, and legumes are rotated and crop production is used to feed live- stock, especially feeder cattle from the west. Beef cattle are of great importance, as are hog, poultry, and dairy production. Unlike areas farther west, the principal land problems in the eastern border region are erosion and floods. Intense storms bring high precipitation during the growing season. In one storm in May 1950, more than 10 inches fell in a few hours to the area near Lincoln. Storms of much less intensity also produce much sediment. Drought and low productivity are rarely or only locally of any concern. Manufacturing is of much greater importance than elsewhere in the basin, with food processing the dominant industry. Some of the largest meat- packing plants in the country are at Kansas City, Omaha, Sioux City, and St. Joseph. There is also some scattered diversified manufacturing. The Ozark Highland.-In the extreme south- eastern corner of the Missouri Basin is an area un- like all other sections of the basin-the Ozark High- land. It is humid, tree-covered hill country. Rainfall is the heaviest in the basin-44 to 48 inches annually. Much of the land is in steep slopes. Soils over wide areas are thin and stony. Over much of the Ozarks, agriculture is impos- sible because of the steep slopes and poor soils. The present stands of timber are a mere shadow of the original forests, both as to volume and quality, due to repeated over-cutting, frequent burning, graz- ing, and attempts at land clearing. Cultivated land is largely in small patches on the valley bottoms. The country supports a sparse population. Its lakes and rivers are intensively used for recreation by people from St. Louis, Memphis, and places within the basin. The Lower Missouri Flood Plain.-From Sioux City to its confluence with the Mississippi, the Mis- souri River flows through a wide flood plain. The flat, rich bottom lands of the main stem and the lower reaches of the principal tributaries have ex- cellent soils and are inherently highly productive. |
