South Dakota State University Open PRAIRIE: Open Public Research Access Institutional Repository and Information Exchange Electronic Theses and Dissertations 1988 The Coteau du Missouri : A Regional Study Robert A. Speck Follow this and additional works at: https://openprairie.sdstate.edu/etd Recommended Citation Speck, Robert A., "The Coteau du Missouri : A Regional Study" (1988). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 4547. https://openprairie.sdstate.edu/etd/4547 This Thesis - Open Access is brought to you for free and open access by Open PRAIRIE: Open Public Research Access Institutional Repository and Information Exchange. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Open PRAIRIE: Open Public Research Access Institutional Repository and Information Exchange. For more information, please contact [email protected]. THE COTEAU DU MISSOURI A REGIONAL STUDY BY ROBERT A. SPECK . ' A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Master of Science, Major in Geography, South Dakota State University 1988 SOUTH OTA SI-n.E U.;"/ERSITY IBRARY '!HE CX1I'FAIJ wMISSCXJRI A REGiaw:.. S'IUDY '!his thesis is �roved as a creditable am iroepen:Jent investigatioo by a carxlidate for the degree, Master of sci�, am is acceptable for meeti..n;J the thesis requirements for this degree. Acceptance of this thesis does rx>t inply that the �lusions reachEd by the � o� · carxtidate areily necessar nclusiol.i; the major deparbnent. 'Ihesis �iset) Date . Date A� 'Dle author wishes to express his cq:p:reciation to Dr. Edward P. Hogan, ·Head, Deparbnent of �y for his time, guidance, ard encouragement inthe preparation of this thesis. 'Ihe author also expresses his appreciation to Dr. Olarles F. Gritzner, Dr. lee A. Opheim, arxi Professor Orville E. Gab their help. Also, the author wishE$ to thank the other faculty of the Deparbnent of Geogra!ily for their help. I would like to thank my Parents, Robert arxi Ieona, for their encouragement arxi SlJR)Ort durirg my research arxi writirq. Finally I would like to_thank Janet R. Hirzel for her assistance arxi expertise in the typirg of this thesis. TABLE OF CONTENTS Page LIST OF TABLES .. v LIST OF FIGURES . VI Chapter I. INTRODUCTION 1 II . PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT •. 8 Terrain . • • . • . 8 Climate . • • • • • • • . 16 Soils . • • • • 21 Natural Vegetation • • 29 Animal Life . • 35 Water • • • • 39 III. HUMAN OCCUPANCE • • • 4 4 IV. · CULTURAL ENVIRONMENT • . • • 62 Agriculture • 62 Mining . • • • • 7 6 Industry a�d Commerce 78 Transportation . • • • 8 3 Recreation . • . • • 85 Power and Utilities . • • . 91 Population . • . 92 V. CONCLUSION . .. • • 99 BIBLIOGRAPHY . • . .105 IV LIST OF TABLES Table Page 1 Selected Temperature Data for the Coteau du Missouri. • • • • 19 2 Lakes over 100 Acres in the Coteau du Missouri ••. 41 3 Farms , Farm Size and Harvested Cropland in the Coteau du Missouri. 68 4 Production of Maj or Crops in the Couteau du Missouri . • • . • . 70 5 Industry in the Coteau du Missouri . 79 6 Improved Airports in the Coteau du Missouri • . • • . • . 87 7 Cities and Towns in the Coteau du Missouri . • . • . 93 8 County Populations in the Coteau du Missouri . • • . • . • . 95 9 Population Loss in the Coteau du Missouri . • • . • • • . 97 v LIST OF FIGURES Figure Page 1 Physiographic Regions of South Dakota . 2 2 The Coteau du Missouri .• 5 3 Coteau du Missouri in the Distance. 12 4 Great Ree Valley . 14 5 Climate Types . 17 6 Soil Parent Material . 24 7 Soil Regions of South Dakota . 25 8 Soil Zones of the Coteau du Missouri . 27 9 Flora and Fauna Regions of South Dakota 30 10 Indian Burial Mounds . 47 11 Distribution of Ethnic Groups . 56 12 Millerdale Hutterite Colony Livestock Quarters 58 13 Millerdale Hutterite Colony Living Quarters 58 . 14 Grain Storage . •. 66 15 Percent of Cropland in Wheat . 71 16 Percent of Cropland in Corn 72 17 Percent of Cropland in Oats . 73 18 Percent of Cropland in Barley . 74 19 Percent of Cropland in sunflowers . 75 VI 20 Gravel Operation near Polo, South Dakota . 77 21 Tractor and Scraper . 77 22 Koch Manufacturing Company . 82 23 Major Highways . 84 24 Rail·roads . 86 25 Rose Hill Access Area . 89 26 Gann Valley, South Dakota . 94 VII . CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION PURPOSE OF THE STUDY The purpose of this study is to provide a general data base for future · studies of and planning for studies of the region. It will also provide the people of South Dakota with information needed to d�rive a better understanding of the geography of South Dakota . The Department of Geography at South Dakota State University has adopted as a maj or goal of its graduate program the completion of a series of Master 's theses on the geography of South Dakota . Each of these theses will examine the geography of one of the thirteen physiographic divisions tha� exist within the state (Figure 1) . ·ay 1988 studies wh ich have been completed for South Dakota include the Coteau d�s Prairies , James River Highlands , Lake Dakota Plain , Minnesota River Lowland, and South Dakota Sandhil1s . 1 These studies can be found 1crawford, Ronald , The Minnesota River Lowland: · an Area Study. Masters Thesis, South Dakota State Univeisity, · Brookings , South Dakota , 1977 . Gab , Orville, The Coteau des Prairies : an Area Study, Masters Thesis , South Dakota State Univ�rsity , Brookings , South Dakota , 1979 . Rumpca, Anselm , The Lake Dakota Plain, Masters Thesis , South Dakota State University, Brookings, South Dakota, · 1978 . .. _ 12 I. Minnesota River Lowland� 7. Coteau Du Missouri-- 2. N Lake Dakota Plain� 8. Missouri River Trench 3. Coteau Des Prairie..;. 9. Sand· Hills - SCALE IN 4. James River Highlandti-- 10. Pierre Hills- �. MILES 5. Southern Plateau 11. Southern Plateau 6. "'T' James River Lowlands- 12. Northern Plateau 0 2? 50 13. Bla.ck Hills Figure 1: Physiographic Regions of South Dakota Source: fliu� Pleistocene Geology _of E� South Dakota N •· 3 in the thesis section of the library at South Dakota State University . This thesis is conducted with the hope that it wi ll prov ide useful information for residents of the Coteau du Missouri , the Department of Geography at South Dakota State University, and any other individuals who may have an interest in the region . THE REGION DELINEATED Th is thesis is a systematic regional study of the Coteau du Missouri of eastern South Dakota. The Coteau du Missouri occupies an area located on the eastern side of the Missouri River . It extends southward from the South Dakota-North Dakota border to the northwest corner of Bon Homme county in· southeastern South Dakota . At its southernmost edge in South Dakota, the Missouri River cuts through the escarpment that �orms the eastern boundary of the Coteau . It is nearly 75 miles wide at the North Dakota border, but -narrows to a width of about 25 Weimer, Robert , The Sandhills of South Dakota: a Regional Study. Masters Thesis, south Dakota State University , Brookings, South Dakota, 1985. Welch, Thomas , The James River Highlands: an Area Study. Masters Thesis , South Dakota State University, Brookings, South Dakota� 1�82. 4 miles at its southern edge in Bon Homme and Charles Mix counties . The Coteau occupies a curving belt of territory 200 miles long in a north-south extent between the Missouri River and the James River Lowland which comprises its eastern boundary (Figure 2) . The Coteau dti Missouri includes parts of 19 counties of South Dakota. These counties are Campbell, McPherson, Walworth , Edmunds , Potter, Faulk, Sully , Hughes, Hyde, Hand, Beadle, Buffalo, Jerauld , Brule, Aurora , Charles Mix, Douglas, Hutchinson , and Bon Homme . The Coteau du Missour1 is the western counterpart of the Coteau des Prairies further to the east in South Dakota. It is generally not as high and has a less steep slope than the Coteau des Prairies . The port ion of the Coteau du Missouri that extends northward through North Dakota is higher and steeper than the_ part that lies in South Dakota . The Coteau lacks a well-defined western escarpment , while its eastern escarpment is a subtle one in places and quite obvious in others . DEFINITION OF TERMS A region is an area defined on the basis of simi lar or like features which give it internal unity or homogeneity which in some way distinguishes it from surrounding areas . There are single feature regions based on one 5 t N 0 sp L 25I MILES I Coteau du Figure 2. The Coteau du Missouri Source: Flint , Pleistocene Geology of Eas tern South Dako ta 6 feature or trait like climate or land forms . There are also multiple feature regions which have several features or traits existing within them . A multiple feature region would be the "Midwest" or "Corn Belt." One must remember that a region or an area is arbitrary . They exist only in the human mind as a perception, rather than in reality . For the purpose of this paper the terms region and area will be used synonymously . REVIEW OF LITERATURE The most complete geographical work on the geography of South Dakota examined the physical components of the area , with no reference to the cultural elements . This work was written by a native-born South Dakota geographer Stephen Sargent Visher in 1917 • . Although various histories of Sout� Dakota , such as those done by Herbert Schell (History of South Dakota ) and John L. Jennewein (Dakota Panorama ) no known history has been written specifically for the . Coteau . Soil surveys , agricultural studies , census counts, and hydrological studies have been done by various state and federal institutions . However , these studies were done on a state or county basis and therefore do not deal with information specifically limited to the region within the boundaries of the Coteau du Missouri . 7 The previously mentioned theses written for the Department of Geography at South Dakota State Univers ity provide information about the State , but they are for selected regions .