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<br />Even though the: legend of the ~rcal lizard may h;lve
<br />b"en a fi!lmenl of In" IndIJI])" imagination, It does
<br />provide a pi":lllrc~uc d\'~(rlpllnll of the ,\llssnuli RIV"l,
<br />whkh slrekh...:,> fwm the- SllOw-.:ovcreJ Ro..ky \lolln-
<br />lains to Ihe mudl warm.:r ,nuth. As mown by tlgure I.
<br />It rises high In the Roddcs uf v.eslern ,\hmtJna. !lows
<br />northeJstward, east. :wd then s(\ulht'J~t from mountain-
<br />uus timbered JfeaS thlOugh fmllhills. through the Great
<br />Plains. and u\lwn through the IOl,l,hnu uf the
<br />MJutheaslern p.Jrt nl the bJSlfi, j'lining lh,' \Ii~issipri
<br />Riverneaf Sf. LAmh_
<br />Th.. area IS OIW of physII.:a] l'\lrl.'mes, from tllgh
<br />mOUlllams - some (,nested. <;ome barrl.'n Jnd high
<br />valleys. arid and semiarid foolhilh Jnd plaIllS, III
<br />subhulmu Jnd hUIllIU :in'as. wilh cll'\'aljtlm rang1llg from
<br />~bovl' 14,000 fe"'l down 10 k\~ thal1 400 1'......1. In the
<br />UP!'lI:'1 rl;"~chl's, thl' f~lI oj lhe rivers and <:rceh is r~pid,
<br />sle~dil~ dl1111nhhing unlil, in thl' ]l'"el readies of spml'
<br />of thl' tribu!aril's ~nd nn Ihe main st...m of lhl' \hs~oufl
<br />River. the:" ~'uJrenls ;Hl;" r...l:Jtivdy slow,
<br />Old and y,)ung Hll'b - Igneous, m...t<lmmplll':, and
<br />sedillwntalY - as well <IS dl'poslts I.m youn!l :md
<br />unconsohdah'J yet 11101' l'alled rod.:s. form the !!eOlllj:IC
<br />fralllcworl of lhe \lhsllUfl River Basin as 11Iuslrat,'d b~
<br />ligure~, TIllS plays an important mil;" In lhe e':OIwlIlic
<br />dl'veloprnenl of lhe basin,
<br />The .\Ii.....ouri Basin is divided inlo lhrl;"e main physI'
<br />ographic divisions thl;" Ro~'l~' .\luuntaln SYSll;"lIl.
<br />InletlOl Plains, and 1r1lerior Ihghlands_ fhe Rod..:y
<br />.\luunlalOs flse abruPlly :',000 10 m"re:" than -',000 kl't
<br />abuve:" th,' adja.:ent pl;uns and pTO\lJl;" a Slflklng ~-onlfasl
<br />in l"pOglJphy
<br />Thl;" RllCky \IountJtn Sy~ll'm IS J ~ril" of b,lld.
<br />!!...nl;"rall~ rU~I'd. 1I11rth. 10 11,,'thwest.ofll'ntl;"d rall!!es
<br />~p;Hall-d by bwad valley, 01 l1<,arly 1111 bNlh. Cra!-,!!~
<br />\,JWlooth nJ!!es and nl;!Jl'stl~' peab 01 bar.:> wd.. forlll
<br />th<:- Conll11ental Dllld.:>, whose hl~hcr SUl\lmlh IJJlgl' In
<br />altitud... hI more lhan 14.0tJ0 f,....t TIII'se summits,
<br />ll'!!ethl;"r wllh fast-rl"wlI1j: strl'Jlm In dl'ep, steep.walled
<br />gorges, .:ryslal dear Jal.:es. perelUllal snll\\b.l.llI.:S. :l.lld
<br />small ~la':Il'rs In hIgh le\el C1rqu<'s pr'I\'IJe a ITlJgnjr1d~nl
<br />atplllt" tJeJut~
<br />The (;r...at PlaJl1;, can be tIH'u~ht 01 .Is dhpla~'In!! thle,'
<br />g('nerJI surlaces within lhe bJ>lI1. The surfa.... 1Il the
<br />
<br />CHAPTER 1
<br />
<br />THE GENERAL SETTING
<br />
<br />""uthl'rfl pari of thl' bJSJIl IS gl'nlly lOlling tn ll...arly Iht
<br />wllh 11'\\ rllunJ.:>J ridges rhlll!! h..fl' and Ihea' Jom'e
<br />llal,tJllltllllll'd strl';JIl1 \JlJe) s. The plallls III Wyollung.
<br />\Innlalla. and on tl1l' wesl side of lhe .\1rs~uuri Riwr III
<br />lhe DJl.:otas hJve b,'en l;"Wdl'd to 'Ollll a falfly bwlen
<br />tnpograph~ lhe ll1JJol slream.. 1l'lId hl bl' well ell-
<br />trendll'd hdll\\ lhe pbins sur!Jce. ha\'e rather narru,""
<br />\'alleys. and arc Ilanl.:ed by IOn..., nt ~ulli.:>s or badlands.
<br />Only the intl'lrlu\'ial uplands rl'lalfl lhe rolling plallls
<br />chara":ll'flSIICS.
<br />\oflh and east lIf llll' \lJssoufi RIver the (;r,'~t I'bll1s
<br />haw hl'l'1I mOI.hfil'd by ~\'l'ral perinds of conlinentJI
<br />gb":IJllon. The land surlal'l' IS !!("ntl) TOlhng and mtl'f.
<br />spl'rsed wllh numerous windlllg ridges ,,' gladal dl'bris,
<br />Gelll'rally, the streams occupy wide shallow vaHcys :md
<br />le-nJ to 1101\'(" fJlfly IlJt graJIl;"nls. Ihere Jre St"\l'ra] I:Hge
<br />areas where- the surfa"l' runllt'- COIl<'I'" in bnd,lul'l.:ed
<br />IJl.:l's or sloughs Jlld does lllll dlr....:!l)" contribute III the
<br />str...allls.
<br />fhe ('enlral Lowlands portioll of lhl' basin is a long
<br />north-SPilth trendmg Jrea bounded IHI lhe west by the
<br />(;re-at PIJins alld I'll the ;,l,uth by lhe O/arl.: Plaleaus.
<br />The lowlands all." c,)mpo;;cd nf broad. rollinll priliriC's
<br />which ale slgniflca1ltly lowl'l Jf1 dl'\'alion thall thl' Great
<br />Plams. Iheil nnrlh"TO half ha\'lJIg ban gladatl'd and the
<br /><,Uutlll'fI! part forll1lllg a ((amilion IOlle b<:tween tnl'
<br />Glcal P]alO~ and the O/arl.: Plat.'aus.
<br />,\ suel"eSSiOll l.t g]acial mlllaInl'~ dlJra.:!crius thl'
<br />land surface III tht' glaclaled Pllrtl"ll of III<' lowlands.
<br />TheSt' lIloraine, tl'nd 10 h... illl'gular alld ha\'e many
<br />lah>s. swamps. and bouldl'r fields a~s"daled with th...m.
<br />lkt\\ cell the llHlralllJI IIJg"s IS a !-,fI.und motaine 01 till
<br />plam. ~enerJlIy smoolhly rolllllg and wmllluting the
<br />larger PMtot th,'al.'a
<br />Wmd.blllwn dl'P{'Sl!S Of loess l'over Ihe s....lIthl.rn
<br />portion of the gladaled area. TIm se.:llun IS Plubably
<br />tilt' Jlll'st highl~ d...\'elllped aglicultural land \'dthin tht'
<br />bJslll Jlld rcpre",'nts the wesl<'rn l'Jgl.' 01 the Corn (kit.
<br />Thl' soulhernmnS! pOl\illll of th.. baSin is the O/..Jlk
<br />Plaleaus prllVIllL'l;". Thl~ area IS composed Illamly of
<br />[(111m!! uplanJs whl.:h ha\"<' rather stel'p. well dls-<,("cted
<br />lhnb. Th.' ll1aJllI ~lre-all1, arl' well cntJen.:hed m llafrllW
<br />\atleys JIl4 ll'nd hl ha\'e shol!. stel'p.sidl'd lalt'fal
<br />Inbutaril;"s,
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