home
in-depth information
overview
quick/easy answers
in-depth info
news from shore to shore
who to contact
site search
glossary
additional resources
contact us
rivers primer index
how rivers function
stream order
stream processes / hydrologic
geomorphic
physical/chemical
biological
temporal/spatial
mn rivers / major watersheds
geomorphologic features
flow
physical/chemical properties
water quality
ecoregion land use
river water use / offstream
instream
river management / regulations affecting rivers
water withdrawals
dams, reservoirs, and navigation
river channel and wetland alteration
public land
commercial and recreational traffic
water quality
future management
monitoring and data / flow
water quality
monitoring programs / federal
state
local
references
river facts
agency contacts
water quality data sources

GEOMORPHOLOGIC FEATURES

A generally low relief surface characterizes the topography through which Minnesota’s streams and rivers flow, as shown in Figure 2.2. The areas of greatest relief are located along the north shore of Lake Superior and in southeastern and southwestern Minnesota where streams descend into the Mississippi and Minnesota rivers, respectively. The state’s topographical features, created largely during the most recent glacial periods, reflect a long period of geologic stability.

Figure 2.2 Topographic Regions of Minnesota. Adapted from MEQB-Lakes (1994). Minnesota Lake and Watershed Data Collection Manual, p. 69.

Minnesota’s soils developed within the last 15,000 years from glacial sediments. A blanket of glacial sediments and meltwater deposits covers the state’s older bedrock. The depth of glacial sediments is thickest (up to 150 meters) in northwestern Minnesota and thinnest in the Arrowhead and the southeastern Mississippi River valley regions. The variation in soil types across the state reflects differences in local erosion patterns and deposition of sediments during and after recent glacial periods. In general, however, soils tend to be rich in minerals because they are relatively new.

 

back index forward