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<br />000534
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<br />MARAIS DES CYGNES BASIN
<br />
<br />The description of the physical features of the basin has been
<br />abstracted largely from House Document No. 91, Seventy-third
<br />Congress, first session, entitled "Osage River, Missouri and Kansas."
<br />
<br />GEOGRAPHY
<br />
<br />The Marais des Cygnes river rises in east central Kansas in Lyon
<br />and Wabaunsee counties and flows in an easterly direction to a point
<br />near Ottawa, thence southeasterly, where it enters the state of Mis-
<br />souri southeast of the town of Trading Post. The basin is approxi-
<br />mately 95 miles in length along its major axis, which lies in a gen-
<br />eral east-and-west direction. The width of the basin is relatively.
<br />narrow to a point near Quenemo, averaging about twenty-five miles
<br />. in width, but rapidly broadens out below that point to a width of
<br />eighty-six miles near the state line. The total drainage area of the
<br />main stem and tributaries in Kansas is 4,360 square miles. The
<br />principal tributaries entering the main stem in Kansas are Salt
<br />creek, Dragoon creek, Pottawatomie creek, Bull creek and Big
<br />Sugar creek. The Little Osage and Marmaton rivers, which rise in
<br />Anderson and AlIen counties, enter the main stem in Missouri.
<br />
<br />TOPOGRAPHY
<br />
<br />The Marais des Cygnes basin in Kansas consists of rolling to hilly
<br />land, lying .in the central lowland physiographic province of the
<br />United States and in the subsection known as "Osage Plains." The
<br />stream system is well entrenched with bluffs along the river rising
<br />abruptly to a height of from 150 to 250 feet above the lowlands. The
<br />valley of the Marais des Cygnes varies from one half to four miles
<br />in width, averaging about one mile. The larger tributaries have the
<br />same general character as the main stem.
<br />At one time the basin was almost entirely covered with timber
<br />consisting of .hickory, oak, walnut, elm, sycamore, ash and cedar.
<br />Most of the hardwoods have been removed for commercial purposes
<br />and the ereek bottoms have been cleared and are being farmed.. In
<br />the eastern part of the basin the uplands are still. covered with
<br />growths of oak and hickory, while in the extreme western portion
<br />the area is mostly covered with grass with some timber along the
<br />banks of the streams.
<br />.The slope of the river at low water varies considerably between
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