PRAIRIES TO COAL SWAMPS: GEOLOGICAL FEATURES IN SOUTH-CENTRAL IOWA ___________________________________________________ edited by Raymond R. Anderson Geological Society of Iowa ______________________________________ April 27, 2002 Guidebook 73 Key to Cover Photomosaic PRAIRIES TO COAL SWAMPS: GEOLOGICAL FEATURES IN SOUTH-CENTRAL IOWA edited by: Raymond R. Anderson Iowa Dept. Natural Resources Geological Survey Bureau Iowa City, IA 52242-1319 with contributions by: Raymond R. Anderson Adrian E. Goettemoeller Greg A. Ludvigson Iowa Dept. Natural Resources Department of Geoscience Iowa Dept. Natural Resources Geological Survey Bureau University of Iowa Geological Survey Bureau Iowa City, IA 52242-1319 Iowa City, IA 52242 Iowa City, IA 52242-1319 John P. Pope Keith E. Schilling Stephanie A. Tassier-Surine Department of Geoscience Iowa Dept. Natural Resources Iowa Dept. Natural Resources University of Iowa Geological Survey Bureau Geological Survey Bureau Iowa City, IA 52242 Iowa City, IA 52242-1319 Iowa City, IA 52242-1319 April 27, 2002 Geological Society of Iowa Guidebook 73 Additional Copies of this Guidebook or other GSI Guidebooks May be Ordered from the GSI Webpage at http://www.igsb.uiowa.edu/gsi ii Geological Society of Iowa TABLE OF CONTENTS Prairies to Coal Swamps: Geological Features in South-Central Iowa Introduction to the Field Trip Raymond R. Anderson............................................................................................................................. 1 Map of the Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge..................................................................................... 3 The Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge Raymond R. Anderson ............................................................................................................................ 5 Introduction......................................................................................................................... 5 History ................................................................................................................................ 6 The Origin of Prairies in the Great Plains....................................................................... 6 What is a Prairie.............................................................................................................. 6 Climate........................................................................................................................ 7 Fires ............................................................................................................................ 7 Grazing........................................................................................................................ 7 Euro-American Settlement of the Great Plains............................................................... 7 The History of the Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge............................................... 8 Goals of the Neal Smith Wildlife Refuge ........................................................................... 9 Reconstructing the Prairie................................................................................................... 9 Prairie Vegetation ......................................................................................................... 10 The Bison...................................................................................................................... 10 The Elk.......................................................................................................................... 10 The Prairie Learning Center.............................................................................................. 11 Refuge Trails..................................................................................................................... 11 Tallgrass Trail ............................................................................................................... 11 Savanah Trail ................................................................................................................ 11 Prairie Overlook Interpretive Trail ............................................................................... 12 Basswood Trail ............................................................................................................. 12 Conclusions....................................................................................................................... 12 References......................................................................................................................... 12 Cornfields to Prairies; Land-Use and Water Quality; The Walnut Creek Watershed Monitoring Project: Keith E. Schilling................................................................................................................................... 13 Introduction....................................................................................................................... 13 Watershed Attributes .................................................................................................... 15 Land Use Changes ........................................................................................................ 16 Water Quality Monitoring Results.................................................................................... 17 Nitrate ........................................................................................................................... 17 Pesticides ...................................................................................................................... 19 Fecal Coliform .............................................................................................................. 20 Nitrate Loading Patterns ............................................................................................... 21 Sediment Transport Studies .............................................................................................. 24 Introduction................................................................................................................... 24 Methods ........................................................................................................................ 24 Monitoring Results........................................................................................................ 25 Stream Survey............................................................................................................... 27 iii Guidebook 73 Restoration Timeframe ................................................................................................. 28 Alluvial Floodplain Hydrology Site.................................................................................. 29 Geology......................................................................................................................... 30 Hydrogeology ............................................................................................................... 31 References......................................................................................................................... 32 Loess Deposits Near Lake Red Rock Stephanie Tassier-Surine ...................................................................................................................... 37 Introduction....................................................................................................................... 37 Peoria Formation............................................................................................................... 37 Farmdale Soil.................................................................................................................... 37 Pisgah Formation .............................................................................................................. 38 Sangamon Geosol ............................................................................................................. 38 Stop 3 - Description .......................................................................................................... 38 References......................................................................................................................... 39 Overview of Lower Desmoinesian (Pennsylvanian) Stratigraphy in South-Central Iowa John P. Pope and Adrian E. Goettemoeller .......................................................................................... 41 Pennsylvanian Paleogeography and the Midcontinent Basin ........................................... 41 Regional Stages and the Desmoinesian Stage................................................................... 42 Cherokee and Marmaton Groups.................................................................................. 43 Kilbourn Formation .................................................................................................. 44 Kalo Formation ......................................................................................................... 44 Floris Formation........................................................................................................ 45 Generalized Floris Formation Depositional Environments in a Sequence-Stratigraphic Framework....................................................................... 46 Common Land Plants from the Red Rock Lake Area ...................................................... 47 References........................................................................................................................