South Dakota State University Open PRAIRIE: Open Public Research Access Institutional Repository and Information Exchange Electronic Theses and Dissertations 1982 The James River Highlands : An Area Study Thomas P. Welch Follow this and additional works at: https://openprairie.sdstate.edu/etd Recommended Citation Welch, Thomas P., "The James River Highlands : An Area Study" (1982). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 4179. https://openprairie.sdstate.edu/etd/4179 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 JM1ES RIVER HIGHLANDS: AN AREA STUDY BY THOMAS P . WELCH A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Master of Science , Maj or in Geography , South Dakota State University 198z" THE JAMES RIVER HIGHLANDS AN AREA STUDY This thesis is approved as a creditaple and inde­ pendent inve stigation by a candidate for the degree, Master of Science , and is acceptab le for meeting the thesis requirements for this degree . Acceptance of this thesis does not imp ly that the cone:lusions reached by the candi­ date are necessar�ly the conclus ions of the maj or depart- ment . Lee Opheim , Ph .D. ., Date Thes.is Adviser Edward P. Hogan' , J>h .D. Date Head , Geography Dept. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The author would like to express his appreciation to Dr . Lee A. Opheim , Associate Professor , Department of Geography , for his direction and inspiration in the prep­ eration of this thesis . The author would also like to thank Dr . Edward P. Hogan , Professor , Department of Geo­ graphy , for his assis tance in providing a rational approach to this investigation. Also, the author wishes to thank the faculty and students of the Department of· Geography for their interest in and support of this study . I would like to express my love for my family an d friends for their emotional assistance and encourage� ment during my res earch and wr iting . Finally I would like to thank Carol Whitney for her patience and expertise in typ ing this thesis. Thomas Paul Welch TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter Page I INTRODUCTION 1 Region Versus Area '! • 2 The Study Area . 3 Relevance of the Study 5 Review of Literature . 8 Organization . 10 End Notes . 12 II THE PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT . 13 Terrain 13 Climate 22 Soils 26 Hydrographic Features 33 Natural Vegetation . 40 Fish and Wildlife . 47 End Notes 57 III HUMAN OCCUPANCY 59 End Notes . 77 IV HUMAN DEVELOPMENT 78 Agriculture 78 Mining . 87 Industry . 100 Chapter Page Transportation . 101 Recreation . 105 Power and Utilities . 109 Population . 109 End Notes . 119 v CONCLUSION . 120 Overview . 120 Future . 126 APPENDIX A . 127 APPENDIX B . 129 BIBLIOGRAPHY . 131 LIST OF FIGURES Figure Page 1 The James River Highlands 4 2 Typical Views of the James River . 6 3 Location of Ridges . 7 4 Physiographic Regions of South Dakota 9 5 Views Northwest and Northeast From Turkey Ridge . 14 6 Views Southwest and West From Turkey Ridge . 16 7 Generalized Glacial Map 17 8 James Ridge From the East 19 9 Yankton Ridge Facing Northeast and South . 21 10 Soil Parent Material 28 11 Soil Regions of South Dakota 30 12 Soil Association Map . 32 13 Bridged Field Approach and Flood Damage to Transportation . 35 14 Navigational Obs tructions on the Jame s River . 37 15 Flora and Fauna Regions . 42 16 Examp le$ of Native Vegetation in the Jame s River Highlands . 45 17 Potential Carrying Capacity For Pheasants 54 18 Percent Indian Population , 1970 65 19 Distribution of Rur al Ethn ic Groups , 1961 70 Figure Page 20 Location of Hutterite Colonies , 1974 . 73 21 Turkey Ridge Store and One of the Many Rural Churches . 75 22 River Bottom Crop land , Corn , and Oats on the Flood Plain . 81 23 Diked Corn Field For Protection Against Flooding . 82 24 Ridge Top Rangeland . 83 25 Top Ten Counties in Corn Production . 91 26 Top Ten Counties in Soyb ean Production 92 27 High and Lo:w- Yields , Hay . 93 28 High and Low Yields , Alfalfa . 94 29 High and Low Yields , Corn 95 30 High and Low Yields , All Wheat . 96 31 High and Low Yields , Oats . 97 32 High and Low Yields , Soybeans . 98 33 High and Low Yields , Sorghum . 99 34 Per Capita Income By Place of Residence Per $1 ,000 . 102 35 Area Residents Recreate at Nearby Lewis and Clark Lake . 110 36 Gavins Point Dam and Electric Transmission Lines in the Jame s River Highlands . 112 37 Towns In The James River Highlands . 114 38 Mains treet: Menno , South·Dakota . 115 LIST OF TABLES Table Page 1 Selected Temperature/Precipitation Data For The Jame s River Highlands 24 2 Numb er of Farms /Average Farm Size in Acres . 88 3 All Cattle /Milk Cows & Heifers , Total Number/Hogs/ Sheep & Lambs/Chickens 89 4 Industry in the Study Area . 103 5 Utilities Serving the James River Highlands . 111 6 Towns and Townships of the Jame s River Highlands and Their Populations . 117 CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION The term "Geography" is of _Greek origin derived from the words "geo" meaning the earth , and "graphos" meaning to write or describe. Geography literally means writing about , or a descrip tion of the earth . Although geography is one of the oldest- fields of human curiosity , 1 it is a relatively new discipline . Mo dern geography constitutes the first step in a process of scholar ship . In fact it now constitutes one of the more advanced steps . Understanding the earth , the home of humankind , requires the support of many disciplines . Instead of haphazardly dealing with the phenomena of the face of the earth in the search for system and order , modern geography now calls upon the understandings provided by other sciences devoted to the study of specific processes , the systematic sciences. Geography is a me thod of looking at particular places with a view to understanding how specific processes operate on the face of the earth to create spatially varied patterns of . phenomena . 2 In this role geography makes three contributions : 1) it contributes toward a better understanding of the earth as the habitat of man by extending the findings of other sciences ; 2) it provides a means for testing the validity of certain concepts developed by the other sciences by applying them in particular places ; and 3) it offers its own pec�liar perspective to the clarification of the issues involved in prob lems of public or private po 1�cy. 2 In whatever part of the field a geographer spec- ializes , one finds common ground with other geographers in two ways : 1) in accepting the fundamental concept that differing patterns and assoc iations of phenomena on the earth produce similarities and contrasts between places , and that these similarities and contrasts are significant in terms of continuing processes of change and therefore worth studying , and 2) in attemp ting to understand the significance of areal differentiation more fully , they define categories of pattern s and associa­ 3 tions and study them in their areal relationship . Region Versus Area Great difficulty has been experienced by geographers with regard to the distinction between region and area . While in a casual sense, the terms have been used 3 interchangeab ly , a specific definition of both terms is essential . It is necessary to define region in a contemp - orary manner. Region can be defined as a homogenous unit determined by two or more selective geographic criterion An area is determined by only one criteria . The word "region" has been traditionally used , and remains widely current , as meaning an uninterrupted area possessing some kind of . homogenity in its core , but l�cking clearly defined boundaries . Areas , however , are limited by prescribed physical or political boundaries arb itrarily drawn or adopted . Therefore , most regions also have a definable area . While regional studies aid in understanding the interrelationship s of the world as a whole , the study of 4 an area increases knowledge of the study site only . The term area , as used in this thes is , is defined as a physio­ graphic subdivision, specifically , The Jame s River High- lands of South Dakota . The ·study Area This thesis is a systematic-area geographical analysis of the James River Highlands (figure 1) . It is comprised of a ridge-bordered section of the Jame s River located· in the. sourthern-most part of the Jame s HUTCHINSON TURNER ·· · .. ···· . ·· · . •••• ••• ••• • • • · ·. • • • • . } 1 • , - I I • ••. "•. CLAY · SCALE IN MILES 0 16 30 Figure 1. The James River Highlands .................................... Source: Hogan , The Geography of South Dakota JAMES RIVER HGHLANDS .p. 5 River Basin (figure 2) . The Highlands is a teardrop shaped area approximately _35 miles in diameter. The James River Highlands consist of a group of three ridges , . vary�ng in elevation from 1, 255 to. 1,440 . feet above sea lev�l. The ridges consist of drift­ covered bedrock that partially block the southern end of the James River Basin. The three ridges are the most conspicuous features of the heavily dissected inter�v�lley . areas still re�aining . From east to west the Highlands are Turkey Ridge , Jame s Ridge , and Yankton Ridge (figure 3) . Al l owe their prominence chiefly to the fact that they are underlain by the relatively resistant chalk 5 and lime stone of the Niobrara formation . Relevance of the Study The importance of this study is to provide a general data base for use in future studies of the area , as well as to provide information necessary for future planning of the area .