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North Fork Salt Basin - County Topographies
Adair County is drained by two major rivers—the Chariton and the Salt. The Chariton River drains the western half of the county and runs in a north-south direction as it flows toward the Missouri River. The Salt River drains the eastern half of the county and runs in a northwest-southeast direction as it flows toward the Mississippi River. Both rivers are fed by numerous smaller streams. The topography of the county ranges from nearly level areas to very steep uplands. The nearly level areas generally are on the flood plains along streams and on the main ridge top which extends in a north-south direction near the center of the county. The topography of the eastern side of the county gradually slopes toward the southeast. The nearly level and very gently sloping soils, formed in loess, are on the more stable upland summits. Below the broad summits are concave areas of Leonard soils, which formed in a thin layer of loess and in underlying loamy sediments and paleosol. These soils incline toward the drainage ways, which extend into tributaries of the Salt River. Winnegan soils are on the lower side slopes and are eroded down through the paleosol and into the underlying glacial till. The major flood plains in the county are along the Chariton and Salt Rivers. The Chariton River occupies a valley that is as much as three miles wide in some areas and poorly drained Zook soils make up the major part of the flood plain along the river. Numerous tributaries drain the dissected ridges west of the river and these smaller streams have deposited loam and silt sediments on narrow flood plains. Ploris and Dockery soils formed in these alluvial deposits adjacent to the natural stream channels, and Vesser and Arbela soils are on the higher flood plains along the tributaries. In some areas, streams have exposed limestone, sandstone, and shale bedrock. Chariton and Gifford soils are on the high Pleistocene stream terraces along the valley sides. The Salt River has fewer tributaries and a steeper gradient than the Chariton River. The dominant soils in areas along the Salt River and its tributaries are Dockery soils on low flood plains and Vesser soils on the higher flood plains along the tributaries. Soils Parent material is the unconsolidated mass in which a soil forms. The characteristics of this material determine the limits of the chemical and mineralogical composition of the soils. The soils in Adair County formed in material weathered from bedrock, glacial till, or material deposited by glacial ice, loess, or material deposited by the wind, and alluvium, or material deposited by water. Some of the soils formed in more than one kind of parent material. The residuum in the county consists of material weathered mainly from limestone and shale. Vanmeter soils formed in this material. They are found on moderately steep to very steep back slopes paralleling streams in the western part of the county. Glacial till is a heterogeneous mass of sand, silt, clay, and rock that was mixed and moved by large masses of slowly moving ice. The glacial till in the county ranges from a few feet to more than 200 feet in thickness, the latter deposited over bedrock. Gara and Winnegan soils formed in glacial till. Loess, silt that was transported by the wind from flood plains, mantles most of the ridges in the county. It ranges in thickness from a few inches to six feet. In areas of prairie along the Grand Divide, the loess was deposited on wide, nearly level to gently sloping divides and ridge tops. Adco and Putnam soils formed partly or entirely in the loess on these divides and ridge tops. The deposits of loess are thinner on narrow ridge tops. Gorin and Bevier soils formed in these deposits and in the underlying loamy sediments and a paleosol weathered from glacial till. Alluvium was deposited on nearly level flood plains along streams in the county. Most of this material was eroded from the surrounding uplands. Zook soils formed in silt and clay alluvium, and Dockery and Vesser soils formed in silt alluvium. There are five associations found in the county:
The landscape of Macon County is mainly characterized by gently sloping to strongly sloping uplands. The county is on the Dissected Till Plains, which date from the Pre-lllinoian stage of the Pleistocene Epoch. At least two glacial advances crossed the survey area and transported glacial material that buried previous land forms. When the glacial ice retreated, it left a wide plain that gradually sloped towards the south and the original plain surface was modified by geological erosion and by deposition. In some areas drainage patterns extend through the glacial till overburden to the underlying bedrock formations of Pennsylvanian and Mississippian age. More nearly level areas that have not been dissected have accumulated thick layers of loess. The present topography is a product of these earlier processes, and the only remnants of the once extensive plain currently exist on the summits of drainage divides. Macon County consists of two recognized topographic divisions. The western two-thirds of the county is in the Moderately Dissected Plains, and the eastern one-third is in the Smooth Plains. The Grand Divide is a broad, nearly level to gently sloping land form that is covered with loess and extends in a north-south direction through the county. This remnant plain is the drainage divide for the upper reaches of the Missouri River and Mississippi River systems. In the Smooth Plains division, the land gradually slopes towards the southeast. This area is drained by Salt River, Bear Creek and their tributaries. Putnam, Mexico, and Adco soils are on the more stable, nearly level and very gently sloping upland summits. They formed in loess or in loess in the underlying pedisediments. In concave areas below the summits, Leonard soils formed in a thin layer of loess and in the underlying pedisediments or paleosol. Leonard soils slope towards drainage ways that lead into tributaries of the Salt River. Keswick and Winnegan soils on the lower side slopes have eroded to the paleosol or into the underlying glacial till. Soils The soils in Macon County formed in residuum, glacial till, loess, and alluvium. Some of the soils formed in more than one kind of parent material. The residuum in Macon County consists of material weathered from limestone, shale, or sandstone. It commonly is silty clay loam or silty clay and has various amounts of soft and hard rock fragments. Gosport and Vanmeter soils were formed in material weathered from shale residuum. Macon County's glacial till is a heterogeneous mass of sand, silt, clay, and rock that was deposited over the bedrock and is 33 to 40 percent clay. Soils that formed in this material commonly have an old, weathered surface layer, and this feature is prominent in the Armstrong and Keswick soils. The till is commonly silty clay, is covered with a thin layer of sediment, and ranges from a few feet to more than 200 feet in thickness. Some soils on the lower slopes, such as Purdin and Winnegan soils, formed in glacial till but do not have the old, weathered surface layer. Loess is silty material that was transported from the flood plains by wind. It covers most of the wider ridges and ranges from a few inches to about six feet in thickness. Originally it was about 28 to 33 percent clay. In the areas along the Grand Divide, the loess was deposited in wide, nearly level or gently sloping divides and on ridge tops. Mexico and Putnam soils formed partly or entirely in loess in the divides and on the ridge tops. Gorin and Bevier soils formed in these deposits and in the underlying pedisediments and glacial till material. Alluvium was deposited on nearly level flood plains along streams and most of this material was eroded from the surrounding uplands. Chequest and Darwin soils formed in silty and clayey alluvium, and Piopolis and Wilbur soils formed in silty alluvium. There are seven series associations prevalent in Macon County: Winnegan-Keswick-Armstrong Association: Strongly sloping and moderately steep, somewhat poorly drained and moderately well drained, loamy soils on uplands. This association consists of soils on narrow upland ridge tops and highly dissected side slopes adjacent to minor drainage ways. Slopes range from 9 to 20 percent. This association makes up about 45 percent of the county. It is about 27 percent Winnegan and similar soils, 25 percent Keswick soils, 24 percent Armstrong soils, and 24 percent minor soils. Winnegan-Gorin-Purdin Association: Gently sloping to steep, somewhat poorly drained and moderately well drained, loamy and silty soils; on uplands. This association consists of soils on long, narrow, convex ridge tops and very steep side slopes adjacent to flood plains along the major streams. Slopes range from 3 to 35 percent. This association makes up about 16 percent of the county. It is about 44 percent Winnegan and similar soils, 20 percent Gorin and similar soils, 18 percent Purdin soils, and 18 percent minor soils. Adco-Leonard Association: Very gently sloping and gently sloping, somewhat poorly drained and poorly drained, silty soils on uplands. This association consists of soils on broad upland ridges that have long side slopes and small, branching drainage ways. These ridges generally are uniform in elevation. They are in the upper reaches of watershed basins. Slopes range from one to six percent. This association makes up about 13 percent of the county. It is about 53 percent Adco and similar soils, 37 percent Leonard soils, and 10 percent minor soils. Armstrong-Keswick-Leonard Association: Gently sloping and moderately sloping, moderately well drained to poorly drained, loamy and silty soils on uplands. This association consists of soils on narrow, meandering, convex ridge tops, on head slopes of narrow drainage ways, and on dissected side slopes. Slopes range from 2 to 9 percent. This association makes up about 12 percent of the county. It is about 47 percent Armstrong soils, 31 percent Keswick soils, 13 percent Leonard soils, and 9 percent minor soils. Darwin-Dockery-Chequest Association: Nearly level, poorly drained and somewhat poorly drained, clayey and silty soils on flood plains. This association consists of soils on broad or very broad flood plains. Slopes range from zero to two percent. This association makes up about seven percent of the county. It is about 28 percent soils, 23 percent Dockery and similar soils, 20 percent Chequest soils, and 29 percent minor soils. Piopolis-Wilbur-Moniteau Association: Nearly level and very gently sloping, poorly drained and moderately well drained, silty soils on flood plains. This association consists of soils on narrow or broad, intermediate-sized flood plains. Slopes range from zero to three percent. This association makes up about six percent of the county. It is about 37 percent Piopolis and similar soils, 28 percent Wilbur and similar soils, 28 percent Moniteau and similar soils, and 7 percent minor soils.
Lenzburg
Association: Very
steep, well drained, loamy soils formed in mine spoils on uplands. This
association consists of soils on narrow, linear piles of mine spoils in
areas of abandoned strip mines. Slopes range from 35 to 70 percent. This
association makes up less than one percent of the county. Lenzburg soils
typically have a surface layer of grayish brown clay loam. The substratum is
multicolored clay loam. At least two glacial advances crossed the survey area which transported glacial till material that buried previous land forms. When the glacial ice retreated, it left a wide plain that gradually sloped to the south. This original plain surface was modified by geological erosion and by deposition and in some areas drainage patterns were entrenched down through the glacial till overburden to the underlying bedrock formations. In nearly level areas that have not been dissected, thick layers of loess have accumulated. The present topography is a product of these earlier processes. The only remnants of the once-extensive plain are on the summits of current drainage divides. Schuyler County is divided by a ridge that runs north to south through the west-central part of the county. Areas of nearly level soils are as much as one-half mile wide near Queen City, and the area west of the divide is characterized by highly dissected, moderate- to steeply-sloping hills. East of the divide is a more rolling, gently sloping to steep landscape. Loess deposits are more than six feet thick in places on the interstream divides and are thinner as they extend downslope. Less weathered glacial till is exposed on moderately steep and steep slopes. The
headwaters for the North Fork Salt River, North
Fork
The highest point in the county is 1,003 feet at Queen City, but many areas along the main divide are at an elevation of about 1,000 feet. The lowest point in the county is about 740 feet where the South Fork Middle Fabius River leaves the county. Local relief is as little as 60 feet in prairie areas and as much as 150 feet in the forested hills along the Chariton River. Relief on the flood plains is about 20 feet.
Knox, Shelby & Monroe Counties The survey area ranges from
broad, nearly level, upland flats to steep wooded slopes.
Nearly level flood plains are along the major streams. The soils formed in loess and glacial till and in
material weathered from shale and limestone. The
soils on bottom lands are variable, and wetness is a limitation of most of these soils.
Rainfall combined with use of the land and
farming operations has a marked effect on the soils of these counties. Average annual precipitation is about 39 inches. About two-thirds of the precipitation falls from
April through September, the same period when most seedbed preparation and tillage
operations are performed. The eroded phases of
Armstrong, Gorin, Keswick, Leonard, and Mexico soils are a direct result of climatic
influence. Soils In Knox, Monroe, and Shelby counties, soils
formed in four kinds of parent material, residual or bedrock, glacial or ice deposited,
loessial or wind deposited, and alluvial or water deposited. Limestone and shale as residual parent
material have weathered from Gosport and Goss soils, and as rock outcrop they form the
land type Rock land. Glacial parent material, consisting of sand,
silt, clay and gravel, along with large boulders was transported by ice action. Armstrong, Gara, Keswick, and Lindley soils formed
in glacial material. Loessial parent material consisting mostly
of silt and clay was transported by wind action. Kilwinning,
Marion, Mexico, and Putnam soils formed in loessial material. Alluvial parent
material in the area generally is of local origin. It consists of silt, sand, clay, and
gravel transported by water action from ridges and hillsides to flood plains of adjacent
streams. Such soils as Arbela, Blackoar, Fatima,
Moniteau, Piopolis, and Wabash formed in alluvial parent material. Some soils in the
survey area formed in more than one kind of parent material.
For example, Calwoods, Gorin, and Leonard soils formed in a thin layer of loessial
material overlying glacial material. Four series associations
are identified – Source:
Missouri Cooperative Soil Survey, "Soil
Survey of Knox, Monroe, and Shelby County, Missouri," http://soils.missouri.edu/HTML_manuscripts/soilsmdb/intro.asp?series=MO602 |
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Page last updated August 26, 2008 |
