Laserfiche WebLink
<br />u u' . S <br /> <br />The b;jsill e')n1ain5 on~'.stxlh of tho: ~'unll!!UllU" arCh <br />of the Cniled Stales and Illdudes ;.tll of \cbraska. mOSI <br />of \loJ1lan:!. :\urlh ;.lIld S'IUlh [);Jklll3. ;Jlld WYOllllng. <br />about half nt !\ans;j~ and \Ij~,luri. snullef parb of <br />Colorado, Iowa. Jllli \lmn,:soIJ. and S,JIIlC territor) 1I1 <br />CIllJda ASIde fWIll internJliunal .....al,.r J~''':llunIJbiIiIY, <br />thl' framl'wolk ~tudy W;j, limill.J In Ihal P;UI of the <br />bJsin within lhe tnih.'J Slales. <br />lh,' hllal ;Ht'J \II the \llssouri River liaslll i~ Jomll <br />5~Q.300 square miles. of W/Udl 9.700 squale Illlles art' <br />located in [JIIJda. Of the tolal basin JreJ of 51 Q ,hoo <br />square miles in [ht' United States. 6.300 square miles aI,' <br />nOIl-coll/flbuting dralllJgt' ]o"::lled along the bJsin\ <br />boundary. Formed hy Ih.:- jun.:liOll of the Jdferson. <br />Gallallll. Jnd \IJdl~lln KI\'er~ at Thr~'e h'Th. \hml.. the <br />\llssouri RI\'er !lows gl'l1elally southeasterly 2.315 miles <br />10 its jun..:tion wilh tit... \li~sissirpi Kiver lleaT SL Lllui~. <br />Mo. The Yl'!Iow;;h)fl\'. Cheyenne. 'iobrara. Plalle. <br />I\:ansas, O~j:"e_ and CaKollade Rt......TS. in duwnslream <br />order. aTt' the T1lJjor tributary str...ams from the south <br />and west. and the \lllk, JJmes. Big Sioux. Grand. and <br />ChJrilOn RI\'...rs. from thl' n\lrth and east. <br /> <br />PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS <br /> <br />Tltre-l' major phYSical dl\'i~lOm <lnd se\er;!1 k'sSlc'r <br />provllk'es ..:haraderlle th... basin, as slw\.\.n on ii!!ure_~ <br />The Rllck) \tOUIlIJIll System f\lfllls tlte western <br />boundary and rdle.:ts an cx.:epuonally ru~ged topog- <br />raphy. with many peaks surpasslIlg 14.000 r......1 In <br />elentlOn. The 55.()(X)-~qu.lTe-lllile muuntamolls Jfl'a IS <br />punctuJld wlIh man} high nll...ys. but the peaks and <br />mountain spurs dOllllllJtC Ihe physical fe,l1ur...s. <br />SIOplll~ eastward from the Rnd\)' \lountallls. the <br />Great Plallls, as tlte- h...arltmd uf the baslll JIll.! J provin..-e <br />of the lotl'rlur Plallls DiviSion. encolTlp;lss a bwad bell of <br />highlands whkh ":O\"et Jppruxi1llalely 300,000 square <br />miles. Their l'Jstern boundary hes along the r 500-foOl <br />contour. and the western b\lUndary al the fOOl of the <br />Ro.:ky MountJins ;J\'erag...s about 5500 feel m elevation. <br />West-Ill-east slopes ;Jrera!'e about 10leel to the mile. <br />South and ....('stllf the \lissoun River. the surf;J~-e malllle <br />and tllp\lpaphy Ita\"!.' b~'-en develuped largel} by erosion <br /> <br />CHAPTER 2 <br /> <br />DESCRIPTION OF THE BASIN <br /> <br />- <br /> <br />.. - <br /> <br />... <br /> <br />~ <br /> <br />~J <br /> <br />..-- """ <br /> <br />,... <br /> <br /> <br />. ~ <br />r 1/ ... <br /> --:~ <br /> "' - <br />. , t <br />~ <br /> '"' - .< <br /> .. " <br /> .- <br /> <br />The Rock}' .\lounlains Fonn lht' Basin's <br />\'.e..lem Boulld3r~.. <br /> <br />of a fluvial plain l'xtendmg from the mountains. Wilhlll <br />Ih.. Great Plallls are Isolated mountainous area, <br /> <br /> <br />"f <br /> <br />fi;~l~: <br /> <br />I <br />I <br /> <br />- <br /> <br />.- <br />....--~_,..i <br /> <br />The Great Plains Are Ihe Heartland of Ihe Ba..in <br /> <br />7 <br />