Environment in the Midwest Essay ⋆ Environment Essay Examples ⋆ EssayEmpire

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The Midwest Region of the United States generally refers to lands that were part of the Northwest Territories during the time of the Articles of Confederation. Midwestern states include Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. Much of the region is flat prairie lands, but other land types surround it. The great Mississippi and Ohio Rivers flow through it.

Ohio is bounded by Pennsylvania and West Virginia in the east and southeast, Lake Erie in the north, the Ohio River in the south, and Indiana in the west. If a line were drawn across Ohio from the northeast to the southwest, the area north of the line is in the Central Plains, the area to the south is part of the Appalachian Plateau. The northern half of Ohio is part of the Till Plains and the Great Lakes Plains. The Great Lakes Plains are known for Lake Erie fruits, which include wine grapes and vegetable crops. The Till Plains are part of a great corn-growing belt. The glaciers in the ice ages flattened the land and left it a level plain with rich soils. South-central Ohio has an extension of the Blue Grass Region of Kentucky that extends across the Ohio River. Southern and eastern Ohio, as part of the Appalachian Plateau region, is hilly and rough and remains natural and wild, like West Virginia across the Ohio River.

West Virginia is a mountainous state that is sparsely settled. Its Eastern Panhandle is near Baltimore and the Shenandoah and Potomac Rivers. The Northern Panhandle is a crossroads of rivers and highways and rolling countryside along the Ohio River. Down river near Parkersburg is a region in which oil and gas were extracted in the early days of petroleum pumping. Northern West Virginia is a part of the Appalachian Ridge and Valley Region with valleys between long running ridges. It is forested with many caves and underground streams and covers the eastern sixth of the state. The Allegheny Front is a rugged divide in the Appalachian Plateau Region, which makes up most of the territory of West Virginia. The area is rugged with flattopped plateaus. Coal is mined across the state.

The state of Indiana has an area of 36,420 square miles (94,328 square kilometers). It has a temperate climate and is flat like most of the Midwest region.

Central Indiana is part of a major corn-growing belt. Its flat terrain was formed in the ice age by glaciers; the soil they left behind is the Tipton Till, which is made up of finely ground sand and gravel. While generally flat, Indiana’s highest point is in the Tipton Till at 1,257 feet (383 meters) above sea level. In southern Indiana, the Southern Hills and Lowlands extend from the Ohio River to the beginning of the Tipton Till region. It is hilly because it escaped the glaciers. It is an area of caves and bedrock outcroppings of limestone, which is mined in quarries. The confluence of the Wabash and Ohio Rivers is the state’s lowest point. It is also an area of coal and petroleum. Northern Indiana is part of the Great Lakes Plains. The regions were scraped flat by the glaciers, but some places were missed and remain high and hilly. The North Lake and Moraine Region in the northeast has beautiful scenery; the moraines form high ridges. The land ends in northern Indiana at Lake Michigan. The area just south of the lake has enormous sand dunes that were deposited as its waters retreated and winds from the lake have continued to build the dunes. Those dunes further south are the oldest and are wooded; those dunes next to the Lake form the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore whose bare piles of sand are like those seen on ocean beaches-sandy, with little vegetation.

North of Indiana and Ohio is Michigan, which has a watery boundary. The Lower Peninsula is shaped like a kitchen mitten with the thumb on the eastern side. It is bordered by Lake Huron on the east and by Lake Michigan on the west. Michigan is separated from Canada by the Windsor River near Detroit. Michigan’s Upper Peninsula extends from Wisconsin like an eastward pointing icicle. Lake Superior is on the northern side and Lakes Michigan and Huron are on the state’s southern side. In the southeast are 35 miles of sand dunes at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. Cliffs are found along the 3,288mile (5,292-kilometer) shoreline of the state in many places. The Upper Peninsula is rocky, mountainous, and heavily forested. The trees are basswood, birch, beech, butternut, elm, hickory, maple, oak, poplar, witch-hazel, and others. Moose, wolves, wolverines, porcupines, and other animals are found in the region. It was the center of copper and iron ore mining in earlier times. The Lower Peninsula is generally flat because of glacial action in the ice ages. Because of the surrounding lakes, the climate is milder in winter. However, in western Michigan, and often elsewhere, lake effect snows create large snowfalls in some areas. The two major landforms in Michigan are the Superior Upland and the Great Lakes Plains. The Superior Upland covers the western half of the Upper Peninsula. The eastern part of the Upper Peninsula and all of the Lower Peninsula are part of the Great Lakes Plains. These are a part of a larger area called the Interior Plains, which cover much of the Midwest. The Lower Peninsula, especially in the southern half, has excellent farmland where blueberries and other crops grow well.

Illinois is located in the central United States with its major city, Chicago, bordering Lake Michigan. It is bound by Indiana in the east, Wisconsin in the north, Kentucky and the Ohio River in the south, and Iowa and Missouri in the west. The state covers a land area of 56,345 square miles (145,934 square kilometers) and has five land areas. In the extreme southern tip, along the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers, is a strip that is part of the Gulf Coastal Plain. Because it is like the delta of the Nile River, early pioneers called it Egypt. The southern part of the state is flat, and rises into hills in the north.

In the north is another strip of land that extends 70 miles from where the Wabash River enters the Ohio River to the Mississippi River-a hilly area called the Shawnee Hills. The area is also occasionally called the Illinois Ozarks. This Shawnee Hills region has river bluffs, hills, valleys, and heavily wooded areas; it is also a region in which many orchards have been planted. The Shawnee Hills vary from south to north from five to 40 miles (eight to 64 kilometers). The heights of the hills vary from 300 to over 1,000 feet (91 to over 325 meters).

North of the Shawnee Hills are the Central Plains or Till Plains. It is a vast fertile region that is filled with corn, soybean, and wheat stretching to the horizon during the growing season; prairie grass covers the unfarmed areas. The plains were created by the glaciers of the ice age. The Central Plains covers 90 percent of Illinois and through it runs the Illinois River to the Mississippi. The area has been called the Great Lakes Plains because Lake Michigan once covered the area. North of Chicago is an area of small hills, marshes, and lakes. In the far northwest corner of Illinois is an area that was not covered by the glaciers, which is called the Driftless area. The Illinois section covers only a small area, but it is filled with tall hills and steep valleys.

North of Illinois is Wisconsin. It is bordered by Minnesota in the west, Lake Michigan and Lake Superior in the east and north, and by Iowa in the south. It has an area of 56,153 square miles (145,436 square kilometers) and has moderate temperatures in the southern areas in summer but cold winters. The landforms in Wisconsin are numerous. In the southeast are the Eastern Ridges and Lowlands, which extend from Illinois north to Green Bay. These plains were formed by glaciers and glacial till covers limestone ridges. The area is fertile and extensively employed in farming-the Door Peninsula is the center of potato growing.

West of the Eastern Ridges and Lowlands in the south is the Western Uplands region, which includes the previously discussed Driftless area. It is a beautiful area of wooded hills, lakes and rivers. Dramatic sandstone and limestone bluffs line the Mississippi River. Lead was mined in the area in earlier decades. From the Eastern Ridges and Lowlands west to the St. Croix River is the Central Plains area and on its southern section is the Wisconsin Dells region, which is a scenic gorge on the Wisconsin River. Covering most of northern Wisconsin is the Northern Highlands region, which is heavily forested and dotted with numerous lakes. It slopes to a steep cliff beyond which is the Lake Superior Lowland, a flat plain along Lake Superior.

West of the state of Wisconsin and northern Illinois is Minnesota, which has a land area of 84,402 square miles (218,601 square kilometers). It borders North and South Dakota in the west, Iowa in the south, and Wisconsin in the east; Canada (Manitoba and Ontario) and Lake Superior are to the north. Along the Mississippi River, extending from Wisconsin and Illinois is the Driftless area. To the west is the Young Drift Plains, which is a region of gently rolling farmland created by glaciers. Most of the glacial deposits, called drifts, left rich farmland. However, in some areas, moraines (or their remains) are rocky, sandy, and not suited to farming. They extend across the state to the Red River and north to Manitoba. All across the state are numerous lakes left by glacial action, which act as an enormous breeding ground for birds. In the far southwest corner of Minnesota is a portion of the Dissected Till Plains. The northern Superior Upland is part of the Canadian Shield. It was scoured by glaciers but they were unable to destroy the hard, ancient rock. The northeastern Arrow Head Region pointed toward Lake Superior is the location of the Iron Ranges.

Iowa is to the west of Illinois. In the northeastern part of the state is the western part of the Driftless area. The Dissected Till Plains cover the southern part of the state to Nebraska. The whole region is filled with glacial till that has been eroded to give the land some rolling qualities. Iowa also has the Loess Hills along the Missouri River. The Young Drift Plains cover the flat central and northern sections of Iowa. This state has some of the best farmland in America.

Bibliography:

Jim Dufresne, 50 Hikes in Michigan: The Best Walks, Hikes, and Backpacks in the Lower Peninsula (The Countryman Press, 2003);
James Halfpenny, Scats and Tracks of the Midwest: A Field Guide to the Signs of Seventy Wildlife Species (Globe Pequot Press, 2005);
James Kavanagh, Wisconsin Birds (Waterford Press, 2001);
Doug Ladd, Tallgrass Prairie Wildflowers: A Field Guide to the Common Wildflowers and Plants of the Prairie Midwest (Globe Pequot Press, 2005);
John Madson, The Elemental Prairie: Sixty Tallgrass Plants (University of Iowa Press, 2005);
Nature Conservancy, The Nature Conservancy’s Guide to Indiana Preserves (Indiana University Press, 2006);
Shawn Perich, Wild Minnesota: A Celebration of Our State’s Natural Beauty (MBI Publishing Company, 2005);
Stan Tekiela, Birds of Illinois Field Guide (Adventure Publications, 2002);
Stan Tekiela, Trees of Wisconsin Field Guide (Adventure Publications, 2002).