Geology of Winneshiek County
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GEOLOGY OF WINNESHIEK COUNTY. BY SAMUEL CALVIN. • GEOLOGY OF WINNESHIEK COUNTY. BY SAMUEL CALVIN. CONTENTS. PA.GE . Introduction . .. " .. ... .. ..... ....... ....... .. .. , ...... ... .. .. ... ... 43 Geographic and Geologic Rt:lations . .. .. ...... ...... .. 43 Area.. .............. .. .. .. ........... ..... .... ... .. ....... .. 43 Boundaries . ... .. ... ......... .. .... .... ... ..... ..... 43 Relations to topographic areas . .. ..... .. ... .... .. ... 43 Relations to dist~ibution of geological formations .... .. ... 44 Previous geological work . .... .. ..... ... .. ......... 45 PhYliography .... .. ........ ....• , . .. .... ... ....... 47 Topography. .. .. .. ... 47 Preglacial topography. ... .... ..... .... .. .. .. ... ... 47 Topographic effects of the several rock formations.... ... 48 Topography controlled by Pleistocene deposits......... .. ..... 53 The area of Kansas drift. .. ... ... .. .. ... ... ..... 53 The Iowan-Kansas border. .. 54 The area of Iowan drift . , ....... .. .. .. .. .... .... ... 54 Topography due to recent shifting of mantle rocks. ....... 55 The larger topographic features. .. .......... .. ... .. ... ... 56 The Cresco-Calmar ridge. .. ... .. .... ......... .... 56 Drainage ba&in of the Ox.Eota, or Upper Iowa river..... .. 56 Drainage basin of the Yellow river.... •. .... .. ..... .. .... 56 Drainage basin of the Turkey river. .. ... .. .. ....... 56 Elevations.... .......... .. .... .. .. .... .. .. .... .. ... 56 Drainage ..... ... .... .. ... .................. ........ '" 57 The Oneota, or Upper Iowa river. .. ............ 57 Canoe creek . .. ... 57 (39) 40 CONTENTS. PAGE. Bear creek. • . .. ................... 57 Ten Mile creek. .. .... 57 Trout creek ............... ... 57 Root river system. .. ..... 58 Turkey river .. " • . .. ... .. .......... ..... .. 58 Drainage of the rowan plain . .. ..... .. ... ...... ............ 58 Stratigraphy .......... ..... ............. ............. : .. ... : . .. 58 General relations of the strata ............................. , . ... ... 5M Synoptical table .......... .. .... .......... ' , .... .. .... .... ' .. 60 New names used in synoptical table .. ' .... , ........... .... 60 Cambrian System ........ ............ .. ,.'.,., ....... , ..... " .. 62 Potsdam Series... ....... ',' ........ .. ....... , . .. ..... .. 62 Jordan sandstone .. .. .. .. , . .. ..... ........... .. 62 Ordovician System ..... , .............. .. .............. 64 Canadian Series ........ ............. ......... 64 Oneota Ii mestone. .. .... ... ,... .. .. ......... ..... 64 New Richmond sand~tone 68 Shakopee limestone .................. ..... ......... ..... 71 Saint Peter ~andstone ..... ..... ............ .... 73 Trenton Series .. ... , .............. ...... ' . .. .... 80 Platteville limestone .. ... ' ..... , . 80 Decorah shale ............ ' ... ' ..... ... .. .. ...... , . 84 Galena limestone . ............ .. .... ...... ...... ,. , .... , 87 Maquoketa beds . .. ... .. .. .. .. ' " . .... ....... , 94 Elgin beds ... .. ' ......... ' , . .... ... ,. ... 98 Clermont shale.... .. 105 Fort Atkinson lime5tone ............ .... , . , . .... .. , 106 Brainard shale •. ........ " ............................ 108 Silurian System ....... , .. ........ .... .. '.. .. ....... ..... 109 Niagara Series. .. ......... .. ... .... .. .... , .. , ...... , ... 109 Hopkinton limestone ...... , .......... ... .. .... ,. , . ,. .. 109 Devonian System ...... , . .. ........ , ..... ...... .. ... ....... 113 Middle Devonian Series ............ , .. ' ..... ' ........... .... ... 113 Waps pinicon and Cedar Valley limestones. .. 113 The Mantle Rocks . .......... ... , ...... ' . ........... ... ....... ... 117 Residual materials ...... .. .. ... ........ .. .............. .. .. .. 117 Pleistocene System........... ..... .. .... .. ........ ..... .... 119 Glacial Series ..... .... ..... ............ :...... .. ........ 119 Kansan stage .... , . .. ..... , .... , .. ........ , .. .... ] 19 ~ansan drift . ........... , . •. 119 Buchanan gravels . ..... ... ................ .. .. ...... ]22 CONTENTS. 41 PAGE. Deposits of uncertain age-possibly Kansan. 124 Post· Kansan loelis .......... .. .. .... ...... .. 126 Iowan stage . .. .. .. .. .. , . ..... .... .. .... .. ... ... .. 128 Iowan drift .. .. .... .. ..... .. .. ... 128 Iowan sand terraces. ....... ... .. ... .. .. .. .... 129 Iowan loess . .... .... .... ..... ... .... ....... ,. .. 1;l0 Alluvium . .... ... .... .. ....... ... .. ... .. 130 Soilli " ......... .. .. , . .. .. 131 Stony residual soils . .. ........ ... ... .. ... .. .. .. .......... 131 Loess-Kansan soils ........ .. .. ....................... ......... 131 Iowan drift soils .. .. .. .. ........ ....... ...... ... .. 132 Alluvial soils. ... .. ........ .. ..... .. .. .. 132 Unconformities ...... .. .. ....... .... ... ... ....... ......... 132 The great unconformity betwaen Ordovician and Devonian .... .. 132 Other unconformities .. , . ... .. ...... ...... ....... ... ... 133 Economic products.. ... .. .. ..... ... ..... .. .... .... .. 133 Buil ding' stone .. ............... ... ... ..... : . ........ .. .. 133 Oneola . ....... ... .. .... .... .. ...... .. .. .. .. .. 133 Platteville .. .. ........... .... ... ... ..... ..... ...... ... 134 Galena . .... ... .. ... ...... ... .. .... ..... ... .. 135 Maquoketa . ... ... .. ... ... .. ......... ....... .. .. 136 Isotelus zone .. ......... .. .. .. .. ... .. ..... ... 136 .Fort Atkinson limestone. ........••. ........... ... 137 Niagara. .. .... .. .. .... .... ........... 137 Lime .. ... ............ ... ... ... .. .. ... ..... : . .. .. .. 137 Clays . ... ... .... ............ ...... .. ... .... ... .. .... 138 Road materials ................... ... ......... .. .. .. ..... .. 138 Water supplies.. .. .... ... .. ... ... ...... .... .. .... ...... 139 Water powers.. .. ..... .. .... .; ... .. ..... .. .. .. 140 Gold ........ .. ... .. ...... .... .. .. .... ......... ..... 140 Caves..... .. ... .... ... ........ .. .. ..... ....... ... .. .. 141 The Glenwood cave .......... .. .. .... :. .. ....... .. ... 141 The Decorah Ice cave ... .. .......... .. ... .............. .... 142 Ackowledgments . ... .. .. .. ......... .... ... .. .. .. ... 146 .INTRODUCTION. GEOGRAPHIC AND GEOLOGIC RELATlONS.,-AREA. In some respects Winneshiek* is the banner county of the state. By virtue of its location it possesses a greater variety of soils and offers a greater range of agricultural possibilities than .most of the other counties; it has more geological formations than any other; it presents an unusual number of scientific and economic problems for the consideration of the geologist. Geographically the county lies in the northeastern part of the state; it is separated from the Mississippi river by one county, Allamakee, which bounds it on the east; its northern boundary is the state line between Iowa and Minnesota, the parallel of 43° 30' north latitude; on the south lies the great county of Fayette; while the counties of Chickasaw and Howard bound Winneshiek on the west. Winneshiek is one of the larger counties of the state, embracing, as it does, twenty congressional townships. The northern townships, however, measure only about five miles from north to south, each lacking the northern sections 1 to 6; the sections along the west side of Lincoln and Orleans town ships are fractional; the area of the county is approximately 690 square miles. Topographically and geologically the location of the county is such as to give this area unusual interest. Along its eastern border, and generally throughout the whole belt traversed by the Upper Iowa or Oneota river, the surface presents the rugged characteristics and conditions of the "Driftless Area" with it. "The spelline- 01 the name 01 this county has varied Iron Wmne.hrik to Winne· .hiek. The first spelling is not uncommon, especially on the older maps and in the earlier publications relating to this part of Iowa; but the second spelling is that authorized by the United States Board on Geographic Names and used in all the official publications of the Federal Government. 8,,~ /jec'>7Id It'7,,,rl of th.e ['ni' ed o'Ilalr, Board' n Geollraphic Names 1890-1899, /jeco1ld Edition, page 140, Washington, March. 1901. (4)) 44 INTRODUCTION. deep, rock-cut valleys and stony, barren hills. The uplands in the northeastern two-thirds of the county are characterized by the strongly undulating topography which everywhere accom panies the old, eroded Kansan drift with its veneer of loess. In the west and southwest are gently undulating areas of the uneroded, younger Iowan drift. The ill defined border land between the .driftless and drift-covered portions of the state passes through the county, and the county is also traversed by the rather sharply defined, sinuous line which marks the abrupt transition from the younger Iowan to the older Kansan . The claim of Winneshiek to being, geologically, the banner county of the state might well rest on the number of distinct formations represented by the indurated rocks. In the extreme eastern edge of the county the Jordan sandstone. the uppermost member 'of our Upper Cambrian, occupies some small areas ill the valley of Bear creek and along the Upper Iowa river, and this is followed in succession by the Oneota, the New Richmond, the Shakopee, the Saint 'Peter, the Platteville, the Galena, th~ Maquoketa, the Niagara, and, finally, the Wapsipinicon and Ce dar Yaney stages of the Devonian. Within the limits of our area the Maquoketa presents a number of