HIGH PLAINS

Geographic Region

This portion of the trail was in the High Plains geographic region of the state. The High Plains consist of roughly one-third of the state of Kansas. This area consists of flat open areas with smooth rolling hills. Development takes place on sediment that had originally came from the Rocky Mountains which were created by deformations in the earth’s crust. Fluvial deposits from this area extended over into Kansas which created the area that is seen. Streams that flowed eastward out of the mountainous region carried sediment deposits of mortar that is known as the Ogallala Formation. Unconformed sands, gravels, and clays compressed together and cemented with lime form permeable material, known as mortar beds, for excellent places to discover groundwater resources. This area is located on the leeward side of the Rocky Mountains so precipitation availability is received few and far between. The High Plains is only known for receiving roughly 15 to 25 inches of precipitation annually. With a mixture of high wind conditions and an abundant amount of sunshine categorizes this region as a semi-arid environment (KGS, 2005).

Image from KGS, 2005.

Elephant Rock in northwestern Decatur County is an eroded outcrop of the Ogallala Formation. Typical type of landmark that can be found in this region. Short, drought-tolerant grasses cover the uncultivated areas, trees are scarce, and desert-type plants, such as cactus and yucca, are common (photo by John Charlton, Kansas Geological Survey).