View source for Driftless Area

{{Short description|Geological region in the Midwestern US}}
{{For|the movie|The Driftless Area}}
{{Use American English|date=March 2025}}
[[File:Driftless Region topographic map.webp|thumb|
{{legend-line|red dashed 3px|Driftless Region <br /> [[topographic map]]}}]]
[[File:Driftless Area - panoramio (26).jpg|alt=Landscape with low rolling hills, farm buildings in the middle distance surrounded by fields, and bright early autumn foliage |thumb|Autumn in the Driftless Area of [[Cross Plains, Wisconsin]]]]
{{Coord|43.5|N|91|W|region:US|display=title}}

The '''Driftless Area''', also known as '''Bluff Country''' and the '''Paleozoic Plateau''', is a topographic and cultural region in the [[Midwestern United States]]<ref name="Knox Driftless">{{cite book|doi=10.1130/2019.2543(01)|chapter=Geology of the Driftless Area|title=The Physical Geography and Geology of the Driftless Area: The Career and Contributions of James C. Knox|year=2019|pages=1–35|isbn=9780813725437|s2cid=204258118 |last1=Knox |first1=James C. }}</ref> that comprises southwestern [[Wisconsin]], southeastern [[Minnesota]], northeastern [[Iowa]], and the extreme northwestern corner of [[Illinois]]. The Driftless Area is a [[List of ecoregions in the United States (EPA)|USDA Level III Ecoregion: Ecoregion 52]]. The Driftless Area takes up a large portion of the [[Upper Midwest forest–savanna transition]]. The western section of the Driftless Area in Minnesota is called the '''Blufflands''', due to the steep bluffs and cliffs around the river valleys. The western half is known as the Rochester Plateau, which is flatter than the Blufflands.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Rochester Plateau and Blufflands |url=https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/woodlands/rochester-blufflands.html |access-date=2023-11-28 |website=Minnesota Department of Natural Resources |language=en}}</ref> The '''Coulee Region''' is the southwestern part of the Driftless Area in Wisconsin. It is named for its numerous ravines. 

Never covered by ice during the [[Last Glacial Period|last ice age]], the area lacks the characteristic glacial deposits known as [[Drift (geology)|drift]]. Its landscape is characterized by steep hills, forested ridges, deeply carved river valleys, and [[karst]] geology with spring-fed waterfalls and cold-water trout streams. Ecologically, the Driftless Area's flora and fauna are more closely related to those of the [[Great Lakes region]] and [[New England]] than those of the broader Midwest and central [[Great Plains|Plains]] regions. The steep riverine landscape of both the Driftless Area proper and the surrounding Driftless-like region is the result of early glacial advances that forced preglacial rivers that flowed into the Great Lakes southward, causing them to carve a gorge across bedrock [[cuesta]]s,<ref name="Knox Driftless" /> thereby forming the modern incised upper [[Mississippi River]] valley.<ref name="Carson2018">{{cite journal |doi=10.1130/GSATG355A.1 |title=Late Cenozoic Evolution of the Upper Mississippi River, Stream Piracy, and Reorganization of North American Mid-Continent Drainage Systems|year=2018|last1=Carson|first1=Eric C.|last2=Rawling|first2=J. Elmo III|last3=Attig|first3=John W.|last4=Bates|first4=Benjamin R.|journal=GSA Today|pages=4–11|doi-access=free}}</ref><ref name="Wickert2019">{{cite journal|doi=10.1126/sciadv.aav2366|title=The Mississippi River records glacial-isostatic deformation of North America|year=2019|last1=Wickert|first1=Andrew D.|last2=Anderson|first2=Robert S.|last3=Mitrovica|first3=Jerry X.|last4=Naylor|first4=Shawn|last5=Carson|first5=Eric C.|journal=Science Advances|volume=5|issue=1|pages=eaav2366|pmid=30729164|pmc=6353627|bibcode=2019SciA....5.2366W}}</ref> The region has elevations ranging from 603 to 1,719 feet (184 to 524 m) at [[Blue Mound State Park]], and together with the Driftless-like region, covers {{convert|24,000|sqmi|km2|sigfig=3}}.<ref>U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service. [https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/national/programs/initiatives/?cid=stelprdb1117519 Driftless Area Landscape Conservation Initiative]{{dead link|date=June 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}; {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170826031609/https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/national/programs/initiatives/?cid=stelprdb1117519 |date=2017-08-26 }}. Retrieved August 25, 2017.</ref>

==Geologic origin==
[[File:Forest physiography; physiography of the United States and principles of soils in relation to forestry (1911) (14753930506).jpg|thumb|1911 map showing extent of the Driftless Area as well as the Driftless region in Minnesota and Iowa]]
[[File:TypicalDriftless.jpg|right|thumb|Typical terrain of the Driftless Area as viewed from [[Wildcat Mountain State Park]] in [[Vernon County, Wisconsin]]]]
[[File:PSM V56 D0082 Glacial map of the great lakes region.png|right|thumb|Glacial map of the Great Lakes region; the dark area near left center was not covered by drift. Areas with diagonal hatching were glaciated previously.]]

Retreating glaciers leave behind material called [[Drift (geology)|drift]] composed of silt, clay, sand, gravel, and boulders. Glacial drift includes unsorted material called [[till]] and layers deposited by meltwater streams called [[outwash]].<ref>[http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/volunteer/marapr07/driftless.html "The Driftless Area"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070825103710/http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/volunteer/marapr07/driftless.html |date=2007-08-25 }}, ''Minnesota Conservation Volunteer'', March 2007 (popular article from the [[Minnesota Department of Natural Resources]] (MDNR)), Retrieved July 7, 2007</ref> While drift from early ([[pre-Illinoian]]) glaciations has been found in some parts of the region,<ref name="USGS description">[http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/habitat/rlandscp/sec4.htm "Regional Landscape Ecosystems of Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin: Section IV. Driftless Area"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080327184708/http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/habitat/rlandscp/sec4.htm |date=2008-03-27 }}, [[USGS]], Retrieved July 13, 2007; another government site, [https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/state-offices/minnesota "Driftless Area Initiative"] , [[USDA]], retrieved July 15, 2007, gives {{convert|24103|sqmi|km2}} and {{convert|15425063|acre}}</ref><ref name="Yellow River">[http://www.iowadnr.com/forestry/yellowriver.html "Yellow River State Forest"] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070714135713/http://www.iowadnr.com/forestry/yellowriver.html |date=July 14, 2007 }}, [[Iowa Department of Natural Resources]] (IDNR), Retrieved July 7, 2007</ref><ref>Byron Crowns. "Wisconsin through 5 Billion Years of Change", Wisconsin Earth Science Center, 1976, [[Wisconsin Rapids]], [[Wisconsin]], p. 131, {{LCCN|76046151}}</ref> much of the incised Paleozoic Plateau of Wisconsin and northwestern Illinois has no evidence of glaciation.

Numerous glacial advances throughout the world occurred during the most recent [[Quaternary glaciation]] (also known as the Pleistocene glaciation). The [[Upper Midwest]] and [[Great Lakes]] region of [[North America]] was repeatedly covered by advancing and retreating glaciers throughout this period. The Driftless Area escaped much of the scouring and depositional action by the continental glaciers that occurred during the Last Glacial Period, which produced significant differences in the [[topography]] and drainage patterns within the unglaciated area compared to adjacent glaciated regions.

The region has been subjected to large floods from the melting [[Laurentide ice sheet]] and subsequent catastrophic discharges from its [[proglacial lake]]s, such as [[Glacial Lake Wisconsin]], [[Glacial Lake Agassiz]], [[Glacial Lake Grantsburg]], and [[Glacial Lake Duluth]].

The last phases of the [[Wisconsin glaciation]] involved several major lobes of the Laurentide Ice Sheet: the Des Moines lobe, which flowed down toward [[Des Moines, Iowa|Des Moines]] on the west; the Superior lobe and its sublobes on the north; and the Green Bay lobe and Lake Michigan lobes on the east.<ref name="autogenerated1">[http://jove.geol.niu.edu/faculty/fischer/429_info/429trips/door_county/geolhist.htm]  {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070503073043/http://jove.geol.niu.edu/faculty/fischer/429_info/429trips/door_county/geolhist.htm|date=May 3, 2007}}</ref> The northern and eastern lobes were in part diverted around the area by the Watersmeet Dome, an ancient uplifted area of [[Cambrian]] rock underlain by [[basalt]] in northern [[Wisconsin]] and western [[upper Michigan]]. The southward movement of the continental glacier was also hindered by the great depths of the [[Lake Superior]] basin and the adjacent highlands of the [[Bayfield Peninsula]], [[Gogebic Range]], [[Porcupine Mountains]], [[Keweenaw Peninsula]], and the [[Huron Mountains]] along the north rim of the [[Superior Upland]] bordering Lake Superior. The Green Bay and Lake Michigan lobes were also partially blocked by the bedrock of the [[Door Peninsula]], which presently separates [[Green Bay (Lake Michigan)|Green Bay]] from [[Lake Michigan]].<ref name="autogenerated1"/>

Another factor that may have contributed to the lack of glaciation of the Driftless Area is the fractured, permeable bedrock within the Paleozoic Plateau underlying it, which would have promoted below-ground drainage of subglacial water that would otherwise have lubricated the underside of the glacial ice sheet. The dewatering of the underside of the ice sheet would have inhibited forward movement of the glacier into the Driftless Area, especially from the west.

In the adjacent glaciated regions, the glacial retreat left behind drift, which buried all earlier topographical features. Surface water was forced to carve out new stream beds.<ref>[http://mvac.uwlax.edu/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/EdNewsletterFall04.pdf "Native American use of the Mississippi River"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200212160954/https://mvac.uwlax.edu/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/EdNewsletterFall04.pdf |date=2020-02-12 }}. ''Archaeology Education Program'', vol. 22, no. 2 (Fall 2004):1. Retrieved January 25, 2018.</ref> This process was absent in the Driftless Area, where the original [[Drainage system (geomorphology)|drainage systems]] persisted during and after the Last Glacial Period. Water erosion continued carving the existing [[Gully|gullies]], [[ravine]]s, stream beds, and river valleys ever deeper into the paleozoic plateau, following the original drainage patterns.

==Characteristic landforms==
[[File:Driftless Area - panoramio (5).jpg|thumb|Typical Driftless Area scenery near [[Mazomanie, Wisconsin]]]]

===Geology===
[[File:Tablet Rock - panoramio.jpg|thumb|Tablet Rock Overlook in Wisconsin's Devils Lake State Park, located in the Baraboo Range]]

Overall, the region is characterized by an eroded [[plateau]], with bedrock overlain by varying thicknesses of [[loess]]. Most characteristically, the branching river valleys are deeply dissected. The bluffs lining this reach of the Mississippi River climb to nearly {{convert|600|ft|m}}. In Minnesota, pre-Illinoian-age till was probably removed by natural means before the deposition of loess. The valley walls' sedimentary rocks date to the [[Paleozoic Era]] and are often covered with [[colluvium]] or loess.<ref name="NPS geology">[http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/habitat/rlandscp/sec4.htm Regional Landscape Ecosystems of Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, Section IV, Driftless Area] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080327184708/http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/habitat/rlandscp/sec4.htm |date=2008-03-27 }}, [[National Park Service]], Retrieved July 9, 2007 (A statement from this copyright-free site has been freely paraphrased.)</ref> [[Bedrock]], where not directly exposed, is very near the surface and is composed of "primarily [[Ordovician]] [[dolomite (rock)|dolomite]], [[limestone]], and [[sandstone]] in Minnesota, with [[Cambrian]] sandstone, [[shale]], and dolomite exposed along the valley walls of the Mississippi River."<ref name="NPS geology"/> In the east, the [[Baraboo Range]], an ancient, profoundly eroded [[monadnock]] in south central [[Wisconsin]], consists primarily of [[Precambrian]] [[quartzite]] and [[rhyolite]]. The area has not undergone much tectonic action, as all the visible layers of sedimentary rock are approximately horizontal.

[[Karst topography]] is found throughout the Driftless area. This is characterized by [[cave]]s and cave systems, [[Losing stream|disappearing stream]]s, [[blind valley]]s, [[Subterranean river|underground streams]], [[sinkhole]]s, [[spring (hydrosphere)|springs]], and cold streams. Disappearing streams occur where surface waters sink down into the earth through fractured bedrock or a sinkhole, either joining an [[aquifer]], or becoming an underground stream. Blind valleys are formed by disappearing streams and lack an outlet to any other stream. Sinkholes result from the collapse of a cave's roof, and surface water can flow directly into them. Disappearing streams can re-emerge as large, cold springs. Cold streams with cold springs as their sources are superb [[trout]] habitat. Due to the rapid movement of underground water through regions with karst topography, [[groundwater contamination]] is a major concern in the Driftless area.

===Rivers===
{{wide image|Dresbach, Minnesota from water.jpg|400px|[[Dresbach, Minnesota]] on the [[Upper Mississippi River]]||right|alt=Dresbach, Minnesota}}
The Mississippi River passes through the Driftless Area between and including [[Lock and Dam No. 2|Pool 2]] and [[Lock and Dam No. 13|Pool 13]].

As rivers and streams approach their confluence with the Mississippi, their canyons grow progressively steeper and deeper, particularly in the last {{convert|25|mi}} in their journey to their mouths. The change in elevation above sea level from ridgetops lining a stream to its confluence with the main-stem Mississippi can reach well past {{convert|650|ft|m}} in only a few miles. The [[Waukon, Iowa|Waukon]] Municipal Airport is reliably established as being {{convert|1281|ft}} above sea level.<ref>{{cite web|title=Y01 - Waukon Municipal Airport|url=http://www.airnav.com/airport/Y01|work=AirNav.com|publisher=AirNav, LLC|access-date=May 1, 2014}}</ref> The [[United States Army Corps of Engineers|Army Corps of Engineers]] maintains a river level in [[Lock and Dam No. 9|Pool 9]] of about {{convert|619|ft|m}} above sea level,<ref>{{cite web|title=Station Information for Mississippi River at Lock and Dam 9 (Lynxville, WI)|url=https://rivergages.mvr.usace.army.mil/WaterControl/stationinfo2.cfm?sid=DD9&fid=&dt=S|work=Rivergages.com|publisher=Army Corps of Engineers|access-date=May 1, 2014|archive-date=February 27, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150227184909/http://rivergages.mvr.usace.army.mil/WaterControl/stationinfo2.cfm?sid=DD9&fid=&dt=S|url-status=live}}</ref> which covers [[Lansing, Iowa|Lansing]]. Maps and signs issued by the [[Iowa Department of Transportation]] indicate Waukon and Lansing are {{convert|17|mi|km}} apart on [[Iowa Highway 9]]. This is a drop of more than {{convert|660|ft|m}} in less than {{convert|20|mi}} (and this along a [[Clear Creek (Allamakee County, Iowa)|very minor tributary]] of the Mississippi). "The role of [[isostatic rebound]] on the process of stream incision in the area is not clearly understood."<ref name="quaternary"/>

There are many small towns in the Driftless Area, especially in river valleys, at or upstream from the Mississippi. Small towns in a deep steep valley going down to the Mississippi are at risk every 50 to 100 years or so of a major flood, as with the wreck of [[Gays Mills, Wisconsin]], in August 2007, or the holding of the levee in [[Houston, Minnesota]], (on the South Fork [[Root River (Minnesota)|Root River]]) at the same time. Metropolitan areas have flood walls (''See'' [[2007 Midwest flooding]]). In August 2018, the region yet again experienced record-breaking flooding in valley towns such as [[Coon Valley, Wisconsin]], [[La Farge, Wisconsin]] and [[Viola, Wisconsin]]. The [[Kickapoo River]] flood stage is 13 feet but was recorded as high as 23 feet during the 2018 flood which was declared a statewide emergency.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.wpr.org/walker-declares-statewide-emergency-after-storms-ravage-communities|title=Walker Declares Statewide Emergency After Storms Ravage Communities|date=2018-08-29|website=Wisconsin Public Radio|language=en|access-date=2019-02-06}}</ref> Many community members were rescued by boats sent by the [[Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://lacrossetribune.com/news/local/la-farge-grapples-not-only-with-flooding-but-also-no/article_34349787-9fce-569c-8fb7-c67430ea5938.html|title=La Farge grapples not only with flooding but also no power|last=Tribune|first=Mike Tighe La Crosse|website=La Crosse Tribune|date=30 August 2018 |language=en|access-date=2019-02-06}}</ref> Days later, when two dams in [[Ontario, Wisconsin]] broke, it produced flood water downstream in [[Readstown, Wisconsin]], [[Soldiers Grove, Wisconsin]], and [[Gays Mills, Wisconsin]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://lacrossetribune.com/community/vernonbroadcaster/news/vernon-county-s-jersey-valley-mlsna-dams-fail-due-to/article_71e68905-2999-523d-a391-d52abe169f07.html|title=Vernon County's Jersey Valley, Mlsna dams fail due to heavy rains|last=Broadcaster|first=Angela Cina Vernon County|website=La Crosse Tribune|date=31 August 2018 |language=en|access-date=2019-02-06}}</ref>

The history of this portion of the [[Upper Mississippi River]] dates back to an origin "as an ice-marginal stream during what had been referred to as the '[[Pre-Illinoian|Nebraskan glaciation]].'" This is an outdated and abandoned period in the [[Pre-Illinoian|Pre-Illinoian Stage]].<ref name="quaternary"/> The level of erosion often exposes [[Cambrian]] [[limestone]] of about 510 million years of age.<ref>[http://www.northeastiowarcd.org/yrw/background.htm Watershed Description] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928024954/http://www.northeastiowarcd.org/yrw/background.htm |date=2007-09-28 }} of the [[Upper Iowa River]], Northeastiowarcd.org, Retrieved August 5, 2007</ref> Evidence from soil borings and recent [[lidar]] imagery in the lower [[Wisconsin River]] valley in the Driftless area suggests that the river in the valley once flowed eastward, rather than its existing westerly course toward its confluence with the Mississippi River. This has led to the hypothesis that the ancient Upper Mississippi River (also named the Wyalusing River) at one time flowed east through the Wisconsin River valley and into the [[Great Lakes]]/[[Saint Laurence River]] system somewhere near the [[Door Peninsula]]. The hypothesis posits that the flow of the ancient Wyalusing River was ultimately captured by the ancestral Mississippi River to the south when that river eroded through the Military Ridge near [[Wyalusing State Park]], possibly as a result of an ancient ice sheet in a previous continental glaciation blocking the Wyalusing River to the east. The resulting [[proglacial lake]] would have filled the Wyalusing River valley until it overtopped the Military Ridge, ultimately carving through the ridge and draining the lake. This resulted in the ancient Upper Mississippi River changing course and flowing south toward the [[Gulf of Mexico]], instead of east into the [[St. Lawrence River|Saint Lawrence River]] and the North [[Atlantic Ocean]]. The [[stream capture]] hypothesis for the Upper Mississippi River would have produced a substantial diversion of water from the [[Great Lakes Basin]] and the Saint Lawrence River, reducing the inflow of fresh water into the North Atlantic with possible impacts to [[ocean current]]s and [[climate]].

The Mississippi River trench is one of the few places in the Driftless Area where the bedrock is very deep below the surface, and is overlaid by large amounts of sediment.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://160.94.215.104/karst/main_files/..%5Cassets%5CRI59.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=2007-07-10 |archive-date=2007-07-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070711101210/http://160.94.215.104/karst/main_files/..%5Cassets%5CRI59.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref> As home to the formation of a substantial portion of the gorge of the Upper Mississippi, this enormous quantity of sediment goes down at least {{convert|300|ft|m}} under the present riverbottom at the confluence of the [[Wisconsin River]].<ref>[http://www.igsb.uiowa.edu/browse/Pikes%20Peak/geology_of_pikes_peak_state_park.htm "Geology of Pikes Peak State Park] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070711075802/http://www.igsb.uiowa.edu/Browse/Pikes%20Peak/geology_of_pikes_peak_state_park.htm |date=2007-07-11 }}, [[Iowa Department of Natural Resources]], Retrieved July 13, 2007</ref> In contrast, as the Mississippi exits the Driftless Area "between [[Fulton, Illinois|Fulton]] and [[Muscatine, Iowa|Muscatine]], [... ([[Lock and Dam No. 13|Pool 13]])], it flows over or near bedrock."<ref name="Chas Theiling">Charles Theiling, [http://www.umesc.usgs.gov/documents/reports/1999/status_and_trends/99t001_ch04lr.pdf "River Geomorphology and Floodplain Habitats", p. 1 (*.pdf)], [[USGS]], Retrieved July 12, 2007</ref> "The course of the upper Mississippi River along the margin of the Driftless Area of southeastern Minnesota is believed to have been established during pre-Wisconsin time, when a glacial advance from the west displaced the river eastward from central Iowa to its present position."<ref name="Madigan">Thomas Madigan, [https://web.archive.org/web/20070810003228/http://www.nps.gov/miss/historyculture/upload/River_Ch_1.pdf "The Geology of the MNRRA Corridor"], p. 26, [[National Park Service]], Retrieved July 23, 2007</ref>

[[File:Driftless Area and the Wisconsin River - panoramio.jpg|thumb|Wisconsin River near [[Marietta, Wisconsin]]]]

Other rivers affected by this geologic process are:

* '''In Wisconsin''', the [[Chippewa River (Wisconsin)|Chippewa]], [[Trempealeau River|Trempealeau]], [[La Crosse River|La Crosse]], [[Black River (Wisconsin)|Black]], [[Baraboo River|Baraboo]], [[Pecatonica River|Pecatonica]], [[Eau Claire River (Chippewa River tributary)|Eau Claire]], and [[Wisconsin River]]s, along with the Wisconsin River's tributary, the [[Kickapoo River]]
* '''In Minnesota''': the [[Whitewater River (Minnesota)|Whitewater]], [[Cannon River (Minnesota)|Cannon]], [[Zumbro River|Zumbro]], and [[Root River (Minnesota)|Root]] rivers
* '''In Iowa''': the [[Upper Iowa River|Upper Iowa]] (and [[Paint Creek (Iowa)|Paint Creek]]), [[Yellow River (Iowa)|Yellow]], [[Turkey River (Iowa)|Turkey]], and [[Maquoketa River|Maquoketa]] rivers
* '''In Illinois''': the [[Apple River (Illinois)|Apple River]] and the [[Galena River (Illinois)|Galena River]] (a.k.a. the [[Fever River]])

Although lying just to the north of the Driftless Area, the [[St. Croix River (Wisconsin-Minnesota)|Saint Croix]] in Wisconsin and Minnesota is another important river that affected the area, as it was the outlet for [[Glacial Lake Duluth]], forerunner to [[Lake Superior]], when the eastern outlet was blocked by the continental ice sheet. All major rivers in and adjacent to the Driftless Area have deep, dramatic canyons giving testimony to the immense quantity of water which once surged through them as a result of the nearby melting [[Glacier]]s associated with the miles-high [[Ice sheet]]s during recurring [[Ice age]]s. Other examples include the Wisconsin River, which drained [[Glacial Lake Wisconsin]], and [[Glacial River Warren]] (whose bed is occupied by the [[Minnesota River]]), which drained the colossal [[Glacial Lake Agassiz]]. There was ample water to dig a very deep, hundreds-of-miles-long gash into the North American bedrock where the Upper Mississippi River now flows.

===Ecosystem===
[[File:USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map - North Central US.jpg|thumb|right|USDA plant hardiness zone regional map - North Central US]]

The climate is [[humid continental]], displaying both the cool summer and warm summer subtypes as one travels from north to south.<ref>Michael E. Ritter,[http://www.uwsp.edu/geo/faculty/ritter/geog101/textbook/climate_systems/humid_continental.html "Humid Continental Climate"]; {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070530170321/http://www.uwsp.edu/geo/faculty/ritter/geog101/textbook/climate_systems/humid_continental.html |date=May 30, 2007 }}, [[University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point]], 2006, Retrieved August 11, 2007</ref> The [[United States Department of Agriculture]] has the region falling mainly in [[Hardiness zone|zone 5a]], with the northern fringe being 4b. A few patches in Wisconsin are 4a.

Before European settlement in the 19th century, the vegetation consisted of [[tallgrass prairie]] and [[bur oak]] [[savanna]] on ridgetops and dry upper slopes, [[sugar maple]]-[[basswood]]-[[oak]] forest on moister slopes, sugar maple-basswood forests in protected valleys and on north-facing slopes, wet prairies along the rivers, and some mesic [[prairie]] on the floodplain farther back from the river.{{citation needed|date=April 2014}} There were probably also oak forests that contained no sugar maple. Marsh and floodplain forests were also common on river flood plains. Prairie was restricted primarily to the broader ridgetops, which were unfavorable sites for trees due to thin soils and shallow bedrock, rapid drainage, and desiccating winds; all these conditions were also good for carrying fires across the landscape. Prairies also occurred on steep slopes with south or southwest aspect (''see'' [[goat prairie]]<ref name="NPS geology"/>). Natural fire, which has long been vigorously suppressed, was essential for the regeneration of such prairies.

Evidence of ancient extinct ice age animals that once inhabited the Driftless Area has been discovered over the years. An example of extinct [[Pleistocene megafauna]] in the area is the [[Boaz mastodon and Anderson Mills mastodon|Boaz mastodon]], a composite skeleton of two separate [[mastodon]]s found in the 1890s in southwestern [[Wisconsin]]. Although evidence exists that mastodons inhabited mostly coniferous [[spruce]] forests associated with the [[taiga]] [[biome]], it is likely that most or all of the Driftless Area was at times covered by [[tundra]] and [[permafrost]] during periods of [[Last Glacial Maximum|glacial maximums]].

[[File:Driftless trout streams1.png|thumb|Relief map of the central Driftless Area, emphasizing the high density of trout waters in the region]]

The Midwest Driftless Area Restoration Effort is a multi-agency cooperative effort to restore the landscape.<ref>{{cite web|title=Driftless Area Restoration Effort|url=http://www.darestoration.com/|publisher=Trout Unlimited|access-date=May 1, 2014}}</ref> The main issues are erosion and water pollution from agricultural and animal runoff.{{citation needed|date=April 2014}} Many farmers in the region use [[contour plowing]], [[strip cropping]], and other agricultural practices to reduce soil erosion due to the hilly terrain. Water pollution is critical in [[karst]]ed regions such as this because it can degrade or destroy prime cold-water fish habitat. Soil erosion presents the [[United States Army Corps of Engineers|Army Corps of Engineers]] with a problem that requires it to dredge the Mississippi River shipping channels to keep them open. [[Trout Unlimited]] is part of this effort, if only because of the superb cold-water streams the region supports.<ref>[http://www.tu.org/site/c.kkLRJ7MSKtH/b.3302703/k.AA04/DriftlessTUDARE.htm] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080326191022/http://www.tu.org/site/c.kkLRJ7MSKtH/b.3302703/k.AA04/DriftlessTUDARE.htm|date=March 26, 2008}}</ref> A symposium was held in 2007 in [[Decorah, Iowa]], "to share the results of research, management and monitoring work in the Driftless Area."<ref>[http://www.tu.org/site/c.kkLRJ7MSKtH/b.3303011/k.217E/Science_in_the_Driftless_Area.htm “Science in the Driftless Area”, Announcement and Call for Papers, Deadline August 24, 2007] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080326191047/http://www.tu.org/site/c.kkLRJ7MSKtH/b.3303011/k.217E/Science_in_the_Driftless_Area.htm |date=March 26, 2008 }} (press release), Again retrieved with different URL, November 16, 2007</ref> The [[Nature Conservancy]] is also interested.

[[File:Iowa Pleistocene snail penny.jpg|thumb|Iowa Pleistocene snail]]
[[File:Monkshood garyTonhouse.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Northern monkshood]]]]

The Driftless Area contains more than half of the world's [[algific talus slopes]], a type of small, isolated ecosystem.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Epstein |first1=E.E. |title=The ecological land- scapes of Wisconsin: An assessment of ecological resources and a guide to planning sustainable management |date=2017 |publisher=Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources |chapter-url=https://dnr.wi.gov/topic/landscapes/documents/elowch7/CTGEO085WI.pdf |access-date=1 October 2018 |chapter=Natural communities, aquatic features, and selected habitats of Wisconsin}}</ref> These refugia create cool summer and fall microclimates that host species usually found further north. They contain at least one [[endangered species]], the [[Iowa Pleistocene Snail]], and a threatened plant, the [[Northern monkshood]].<ref>[http://www.fws.gov/Midwest/Planning/DriftlessArea/ccp/CCP.pdf Driftless Area National Wildlife Refuge Comprehensive Conservation Plan] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070810003227/http://www.fws.gov/Midwest/Planning/DriftlessArea/ccp/CCP.pdf |date=2007-08-10 }}, [[U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service]], Retrieved July 23, 2007</ref> The [[Driftless Area National Wildlife Refuge]] was primarily carved out of the [[Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge]] to protect these species and their associated ecosystems.

Isolated relic stands of pines and associated northern vegetation are found in some locations where [[algific talus slopes]] exist. These trees survive in the cooler microclimate at these locations outside of their range further north.

A noteworthy annual event is the rising of [[Corydalidae|fishflies]], a kind of [[mayfly]] endemic to the Mississippi valley in the region. These are aquatic insects attracted to light, which rise by the millions as adults to mate, only to die within hours.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Parfin |first=Sophy I. |author-link=Sophy Parfin |year=1952 |title=The Megaloptera and Neuroptera of Minnesota |journal=[[The American Midland Naturalist]] |publisher=[[University of Notre Dame]] |volume=47 |issue=2 |pages=421–34 |doi=10.2307/2422271 |issn=1938-4238 |jstor=2422271}}; other more anecdotal sites give a fuller feeling for the scope of the annual invasion, e.g., [http://clean-water.uwex.edu/pubs/pdf/wav.wwwc.pdf Wonderful Wacky Water Critters] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070810003229/http://clean-water.uwex.edu/pubs/pdf/wav.wwwc.pdf|date=2007-08-10}} Retrieved August 8, 2007</ref>

Wildlife is abundant with opportunities for hunting [[whitetail deer]] and [[wild turkey]]. Fishing, particularly for [[brown trout]], [[brook trout]], and [[rainbow trout]] in tributaries, and species such as [[channel catfish]] in the Mississippi is available, with [[ice fishing]] in winter.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.outdoorlife.com/trout-fishing-driftless-area-midwest|title=Fishing the Driftless Area: The Best Kept Secret in the Trout World|last=Dahlke |first=Josh|website=Outdoor Life|date=23 January 2019|language=en|access-date=2019-04-09}}</ref>

===Other characteristics===
The Driftless Area is part of the [[Mississippi Flyway]]. Many birds fly over the river in large flocks, going north in spring and south in autumn.

There are very few natural lakes in the region. They are in adjoining areas of glacial till, drift, and in moraines; the region is extraordinarily well drained, and there is rarely a place where even a pond can naturally form. There are also very few dams because the valley walls and floors are very often fissured or crumbly, or very porous, providing poor anchors for a dam and making it difficult to keep any kind of reservoir appropriately filled. There are no real [[waterfall]]s, but some very strong springs bear the name.

A modern, man-made characteristic is the comparatively twisty nature of highways in the region, as in [[Kentucky]], in contrast to the usually rigid east-west/north-south alignment elsewhere in the Midwest.{{Citation needed|date=September 2009}} Here, the roads switchback up stream valleys or travel over ridge tops. [[U.S. Highway 20]] through the Driftless, and particularly in Illinois, is a good example.

== Economy ==
=== Agriculture ===
{{See also|Organic Valley}}

The Driftless Area provides good conditions for growing crops and grazing livestock. In recent years, the region has generated much public interest in the organic and artisanal food market.

Organic dairy and beef production is of particular economic significance to the Driftless. [[Organic Valley]], the largest organic dairy cooperative in the U.S., was founded and is headquartered in La Farge, Wisconsin. The region's cheese production boasts specialty cheeses such as raw-milk artisan cheese made from unpasteurized milk.<ref>{{Cite web|last=CDC|date=2017-09-01|title=Raw Milk Questions and Answers|url=https://www.cdc.gov/foodsafety/rawmilk/raw-milk-questions-and-answers.html|access-date=2021-11-11|website=Centers for Disease Control and Prevention|language=en-us}}</ref> Organic dairy generally fits best with a grass-based milk production system.<ref>{{Cite journal|date=2012|title=Transitioning to Organic Dairy Production|url=https://mosesorganic.org/wp-content/uploads/Publications/Fact_Sheets/25transDairy.pdf|journal=Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Service}}</ref>

[[File:New Glarus Primrose Winery - panoramio (2).jpg|thumb|Primrose Winery, located in [[New Glarus, Wisconsin]]]]

The bioregion's economic and cultural characteristics were federally recognized with the granting of the Upper Mississippi River Valley (UMRV) viticultural area, the largest designated winemaking region in the country, by the Treasury Division's [[Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau|Tax and Trade Bureau]] in 2009. The petition for designation maintains that the region is a cohesive whole for marketing wine, and is also used to market other products.<ref>{{Cite web|date=June 21, 2009|title=T.D. TTB-77, Establishment of the Upper Mississippi River Valley Viticultural Area|url=https://www.regulations.gov/document/TTB-2008-0007-0003|url-status=live|website=Regulations.gov|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211109164126/https://www.regulations.gov/document/TTB-2008-0007-0003 |archive-date=2021-11-09 }}</ref> 

In addition to wine-grape production and wine-making, the region, especially in southeast Minnesota, is known for apple, maple syrup, and honey production. Tobacco was once a key crop of the Driftless, which has suitable topography and sandy, nutrient-rich soil.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Raitz|first1=Karl B.|last2=Mather|first2=Cotton|date=1971|title=Norwegians and Tobacco in Western Wisconsin|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/2562390|journal=Annals of the Association of American Geographers|volume=61|issue=4|pages=684–696|doi=10.1111/j.1467-8306.1971.tb00818.x |jstor=2562390 |issn=0004-5608|url-access=subscription}}</ref> 

The Driftless Region Food and Farm Project, in partnership with the [[University of Wisconsin-Madison]] Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems, is a coalition of sustainable-agriculture farmers, processors, distributors, chefs, planning commissions, and other participants. The project seeks to define the culinary identity of the region and further direct the development of [[agritourism]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=About {{!}} Driftless Region Food & Farm Project|url=http://www.driftless.wisc.edu/about/|access-date=2021-11-16|language=en-US}}</ref>

=== Mining ===
[[File:USGS Hydraulic Fracturing Sand.jpg|thumb|Fine-grained silica sand is typical of the Driftless Area and is mined for use in hydraulic fracturing.]]

Fine-grained silica sand is typical of the Driftless and is mined for use primarily in [[hydraulic fracturing]], commonly known as "fracking".

The presence of [[sandstone]] bedrock at or near the surface encourages [[sand mining]] in the Driftless, with Wisconsin at the industry's forefront.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Overview of Frac Sand Mining|url=https://www.uwrf.edu/PES/FracSandMineReclamationProject/fracsandoverview.cfm|access-date=2021-11-11|website=www.uwrf.edu|language=en}}</ref> The sandstone contains [[quartz]] (silica) sand grains of the ideal hardness, shape, and size for use in hydraulic fracturing by the [[petroleum]] and [[natural gas]] industries. The mining activity involves quarrying the sandstone bedrock by blasting with [[dynamite]], crushing the rock, washing, drying, and grading the resulting sand, and transporting the sand out by barge or train.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Wisconsin Geological & Natural History Survey » Frac sand: How is it mined?|url=https://wgnhs.wisc.edu/wisconsin-geology/frac-sand-mining/frac-sand-mining-process/|access-date=2021-11-11|website=wgnhs.wisc.edu}}</ref> In 2017, there were 73 frac sand mines in operation in Wisconsin alone,<ref>{{Cite web|date=2018-03-14|title=Sand Rush in Wisconsin|url=https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/91835/sand-rush-in-wisconsin|access-date=2021-11-11|website=earthobservatory.nasa.gov|language=en}}</ref> and there are five operating industrial sand mines in Minnesota;<ref>{{Cite web|title=DNR and Silica Sand|url=https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/silicasand/index.html#:~:text=Five%20mines%20are%20currently%20known%20to%20extract%20silica%20sand%20for%20industrial%20applications.|access-date=2021-11-16|website=Minnesota Department of Natural Resources|language=en|archive-date=2021-11-16|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211116162911/https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/silicasand/index.html#:~:text=Five%20mines%20are%20currently%20known%20to%20extract%20silica%20sand%20for%20industrial%20applications.|url-status=dead}}</ref> the proliferation of sand mines in the region created new jobs and generated economic activity. But the prominence of industry has raised concern about its effect on water quality, air pollution caused by silica dust, noise and [[light pollution]], heavy truck traffic, and the destruction of hills and ridges for which the region is known.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-01-12|title=Air Quality: Respirable Crystalline Silica from Sand Mining|url=https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/air/rcs.htm|access-date=2021-11-16|website=Wisconsin Department of Health Services|language=en}}</ref> Industry changes {{asof|2021|lc=y}} have caused Hi-Crush, [[Covia]], and Superior Silica Sands—all with operations in Wisconsin—to liquidate their frac sand mines and declare bankruptcy.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Kremer|first=Rich|date=2021-05-24|title=Frac Sand Company Liquidating Western Wisconsin Mine|url=https://www.wpr.org/frac-sand-company-liquidating-western-wisconsin-mine|access-date=2021-11-11|website=Wisconsin Public Radio|language=en}}</ref>

==Geographic extent==
===Minnesota===
{{Further|Glacial history of Minnesota}}
[[File:Mississippi River w Lake Pepin in background at Frontenac State Park.jpg|thumb|left|180px|Mississippi River from [[Frontenac State Park]], Minnesota ([[USDA]], [[Natural Resources Conservation Service]])]]

Corresponding to the [[Geology of Minnesota|southeast geological region of Minnesota]], the colloquial "Driftless Area" (though the whole region was glaciated) begins at about [[Fort Snelling, Minnesota|Fort Snelling]]. Starting as a narrow sliver against the Mississippi, it widens to the west as one goes south. The western boundary is the Bemis-Altamont moraine.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.geo.umn.edu/courses/4703/Spring00/9-DriftlessArea/Title.html |title="Glacial Geology of the "Driftless Region" |access-date=July 9, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080328003807/http://www.geo.umn.edu/courses/4703/Spring00/9-DriftlessArea/Title.html |archive-date=March 28, 2008 }}</ref><ref name="Rochester plateau">[http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/ecs/222Lf/index.html "Rochester Plateau Subsection"], [[Minnesota Department of Natural Resources]], Retrieved July 23, 2007</ref> Another more easily found reference to the western boundary is the approximate line of [[Minnesota State Highway 56]].

The upland plateau lies west of the incised tributaries to the Mississippi. The historic vegetation was mixed woodland, with occasional [[goat prairie]]s on southwesterly facing slopes.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/ecs/222L/index.html |title=ECS: Paleozoic Plateau Section: Minnesota DNR |publisher=Dnr.state.mn.us |access-date=2015-03-01}}</ref> In the western section is "an old plateau covered by [[loess]] [...] along the eastern border and pre-Wisconsin age glacial [[till]] in the central and western parts. The western portion is a gently rolling glacial till plain that is covered by loess in places."<ref name="Rochester plateau"/>

The area includes all or part of [[Dakota County, Minnesota|Dakota]], [[Goodhue County, Minnesota|Goodhue]], [[Rice County, Minnesota|Rice]], [[Wabasha County, Minnesota|Wabasha]], [[Winona County, Minnesota|Winona]], [[Olmsted County, Minnesota|Olmsted]], [[Dodge County, Minnesota|Dodge]], [[Houston County, Minnesota|Houston]], [[Fillmore County, Minnesota|Fillmore]], and [[Mower County, Minnesota|Mower]] Counties. Aside from the southeastern suburban sprawl of the [[Twin Cities]], [[Rochester, Minnesota|Rochester]] is the main urban area. Additional communities include [[Red Wing, Minnesota|Red Wing]], [[Lake City, Minnesota|Lake City]], [[Winona, Minnesota|Winona]], [[La Crescent, Minnesota|La Crescent]], [[Chatfield, Minnesota|Chatfield]], [[Lanesboro, Minnesota|Lanesboro]], [[Rushford, Minnesota|Rushford]], [[Houston, Minnesota|Houston]], and [[Caledonia, Minnesota|Caledonia]].

[[Glacial River Warren]], in whose bed the [[Minnesota River]] now flows, entered the "Driftless Area" just downriver from present-day [[Minneapolis-Saint Paul]], at [[Fort Snelling, Minnesota|Fort Snelling]], over [[River Warren Falls]], "an impressive 2700&nbsp;feet (823&nbsp;m) across and 175&nbsp;feet (53&nbsp;m) tall, over 10 times as wide as Niagara falls"<ref>Scott Anfinson, [http://www.fromsitetostory.org/sources/papers/mnarch48/48hist.asp "Archaeology of the Central Minneapolis Riverfront"], The Institute for Minnesota Archaeology, 1989, Retrieved July 8, 2007</ref> (this has since receded to become [[Saint Anthony Falls]]). The region is characterized "by the absence of glacial drift deposits, the sculpted topography, and the presence of the ancient limestone immediately beneath the soil and in cliff outcroppings."<ref>Nancy Kleven, "The Driftless Area Of Minnesota", Winter 1989, ''Minnesota Plant Press'', 8(2) (online)</ref> The Minnesota Driftless Area did not reach the Twin Cities or any areas to the north or west of them; rather, the Twin Cities marked the edge of glaciation, with substantial [[terminal moraine]]s overlying the region.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.winona.edu/geology/MRW/mrwimages/preglacialvalleys.jpg|title=Map of moraines in Twin Cities area|publisher=Winona.edu|access-date=2015-03-01}}</ref>

The largest protected area is [[Richard J. Dorer Memorial Hardwood State Forest]], which contains some state-owned land, but is mostly private, controlled by state conservation easements.

===Wisconsin===
{{Further|Wisconsin Glaciation}}
[[File:Sugar Creek Bluffs.jpg|thumb|Sugar Creek Bluffs in Crawford County, Wisconsin]]
[[File:Taylor County glaciation.jpg|thumb|right|Extent of glaciation in Wisconsin]]
{{multiple image
 | align = right
 | total_width = 410
 | image1 = Houses on the cliff 02.jpg
 | caption1 = 
 | image2 = Houses on the cliff 04.jpg
 | caption2 = 
 | footer = Houses in the Driftless Area on the [[Upper Mississippi River]] north of [[Lynxville, Wisconsin|Lynxville]]
}}
{{wide image|Driftless Region.jpg|500px|Driftless Region Eastern side where [[Interstate 90|I-90]] enters the Driftless area|45%|right|alt=Driftless Area by Tomah, Wisconsin}}

Around 85% of the Driftless Area lies within Wisconsin, comprising much of the southwestern quarter of the state. The border is defined by the catchment of the [[Chippewa River (Wisconsin)|Chippewa River]] on the north, and somewhat west (or east, depending on if the southwestern portion of Wisconsin's [[Central Plain (Wisconsin)|Central Plain]] is included) of the north-south line of the [[Wisconsin River]]. Where the Wisconsin River turns west to join the Mississippi, the area to the south, including the whole of [[Grant County, Wisconsin|Grant County]] as well as most of [[Lafayette County, Wisconsin|Lafayette County]], are part of the Driftless Area.

The rugged terrain comprising most of the Driftless Area is distinct from the rest of Wisconsin, and is known locally as the [[Coulee]] Region. The steep ridges, numerous rock outcroppings, and deep, narrow valleys in the Driftless Area are in marked contrast with the rest of the state, where glaciers have modified the landscape. The hilly unglaciated landscape is well represented in Wisconsin's [[Coulee Experimental State Forest]], [[Wildcat Mountain State Park]], [[Governor Dodge State Park]], [[Perrot State Park]], and the Kickapoo Valley Reserve.

[[Karst topography]] is most prominent in Wisconsin. [[Eagle Cave]] in [[Blue River, Wisconsin|Blue River, WI]] and [[Cave of the Mounds]], near [[Blue Mounds, WI]], are better known examples.

The Driftless Area is located in all or part of
[[Pierce County, Wisconsin|Pierce]],
[[Pepin County, Wisconsin|Pepin]], [[Dunn County, Wisconsin|Dunn]], 
[[Eau Claire County, Wisconsin|Eau Claire]],
[[Buffalo County, Wisconsin|Buffalo]],
[[Trempealeau County, Wisconsin|Trempealeau]],
[[Jackson County, Wisconsin|Jackson]],
[[La Crosse County, Wisconsin|La Crosse]],
[[Monroe County, Wisconsin|Monroe]],
[[Juneau County, Wisconsin|Juneau]],
[[Vernon County, Wisconsin|Vernon]],
[[Richland County, Wisconsin|Richland]],
[[Sauk County, Wisconsin|Sauk]],
[[Crawford County, Wisconsin|Crawford]],
[[Iowa County, Wisconsin|Iowa]],
[[Dane County, Wisconsin|Dane]],
[[Green County, Wisconsin|Green]],
[[Grant County, Wisconsin|Grant]], and
[[Lafayette County, Wisconsin|Lafayette]] counties. If the less restrictive definition of the Driftless Area is used (which includes the unglaciated southwestern portion of Wisconsin's [[Central Plain (Wisconsin)|Central Plain]]), then [[Adams County, Wisconsin|Adams]] and portions of southern [[Wood County, Wisconsin|Wood]] and [[Portage County, Wisconsin|Portage]] counties are also included. [[La Crosse, Wisconsin|La Crosse]] is the principal urban area wholly within the Driftless Area, while the larger [[Madison, Wisconsin|Madison]]'s far western suburbs are located on the edges of the area. Small cities and towns are scattered throughout the region. Numerous [[Amish]] settlements are also located within Wisconsin's Driftless Area.

The U.S. Army maintains a presence at [[Fort McCoy, Wisconsin|Fort McCoy]] in [[Monroe County, Wisconsin|Monroe County]] between [[Sparta, Wisconsin|Sparta]] and [[Tomah, Wisconsin|Tomah]], immediately south of the [[Black River State Forest]]. The property is used mainly for military training exercises, although troops have also been based there for deployments overseas.

The Coulee Region portion of the Driftless Area comprises much of Wisconsin's [[Western Upland]] geographical region. The most rugged part of Wisconsin's Driftless area is also called the [[Ocooch Mountains]].

Largely rural in character, land cover is forest, farmland, and grassland/pasture; modest wetlands are found in river valleys, and along the Mississippi.<ref>[http://www.wisconservation.org/index.php?page=Blufflands_and_Driftless_Area "Blufflands and Driftless Area"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070626143110/http://www.wisconservation.org/index.php?page=Blufflands_and_Driftless_Area |date=2007-06-26 }}, Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin, Retrieved July 30, 2007</ref> Row crop farming is less encountered than elsewhere in the state.<ref>[http://dnr.state.il.us/orc/wildliferesources/theplan/final/pdf/Wisconsin_Driftless.pdf Regional Assessment of the Wisconsin Driftless Natural Division] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070810003229/http://dnr.state.il.us/orc/wildliferesources/theplan/final/pdf/Wisconsin_Driftless.pdf |date=2007-08-10 }}, [[Illinois Department of Natural Resources]], Retrieved July 30, 2007</ref> Away from the Mississippi, Wisconsin, and other major rivers, much of the terrain is gently rolling, supporting dairy farms. In other areas, the rugged nature of the topography in the region is not conducive to farming, except on ridge tops and in river valleys. The sides of the ridges are often too steep for farming, and are usually forested. The [[Coulee Experimental State Forest]] near [[La Crosse, Wisconsin|La Crosse]] was created in part to test [[soil conservation]] practices to prevent soil erosion in the hilly Driftless Area.

The northeastern portion of the Driftless area was covered by or bordered by [[Glacial Lake Wisconsin]] during the [[Wisconsin glaciation]]. The steep-sided rocky bluffs present in [[Roche-a-Cri State Park]] and [[Mill Bluff State Park]] are [[Cambrian]] outliers of the Franconia [[cuesta]] to the southwest and were once islands or [[sea stack]]s in the ancient lake. The flat plain in which these bluffs lie is located in the southwest portion of Wisconsin's [[Central Plain (Wisconsin)|Central Plain]] geographic region, and was formed in part by sediments falling to the bottom of [[Glacial Lake Wisconsin]]. This flat plain consists of sandy deposits and contains many [[bog]]s that were left over from Glacial Lake Wisconsin. Many of these bogs have been converted into [[cranberry]] marshes, helping to make Wisconsin a leader in cranberry production. The remainder of the sand plain consists of forest and irrigated farmland. The [[Dells of the Wisconsin River]] were carved through the bedrock during the sudden draining of Glacial Lake Wisconsin at the end of the last [[ice age]].

Due to the lack of natural lakes in the [[Coulee]] region, several large artificial lakes have been constructed for flood control and recreational purposes, including [[Dutch Hollow Lake]] and [[Lake Redstone]] in Sauk County, Blackhawk Lake in Iowa County, and Yellowstone Lake (in [[Yellowstone State Park]]) in Lafayette County. Plans for a large [[reservoir]] on the [[Kickapoo River]] at [[La Farge, Wisconsin]] were dropped in 1975 after much controversy due to cost-benefit and environmental concerns. Land previously acquired for the reservoir became the Kickapoo Valley Reserve, an 8,569 acre public forest and wildlife area.

[[Wazee Lake]], at 355 feet (108 m) deep, is Wisconsin's deepest inland lake, and is located in Jackson County in the northeast portion of the Driftless Area. The artificial lake lies in the former open pit Jackson County Iron Mine and is the centerpiece of the Wazee Lake Recreation Area. Due to its great depth, vertical underwater cliffs, clear water, and submerged mining features, the lake is popular with [[Scuba diving|scuba]] divers.

The highest point in the Driftless area is West Blue Mound, with an elevation of {{convert|1719|ft}}.<ref>{{cite book |url=http://www.legis.state.wi.us/lrb/bb/05bb/691-694.pdf |chapter=Statistical Information on Wisconsin |title=State of Wisconsin Blue Book 2005 − 2006 |publisher=Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau |date=July 2005 |pages=691–694 |access-date=May 1, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090324223034/http://www.legis.state.wi.us/lrb/bb/05bb/691-694.pdf |archive-date=March 24, 2009 }}</ref><ref>[http://www.sco.wisc.edu/maps/cntyelevation.php Find Maps | Find Maps] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090105194417/http://www.sco.wisc.edu./maps/cntyelevation.php |date=2009-01-05 }}. Sco.wisc.edu. Retrieved on July 21, 2013.</ref> The feature is located in [[Blue Mound State Park]], in Iowa County.

During the 19th and early 20th centuries, [[lead]] and [[zinc]] mining was a major industrial activity in the Driftless Area, drawing many foreign immigrants to settle in the region to work in the mines. Early miners often lived in the mine tunnels, leading outsiders to compare them to the burrowing [[badger]], a nickname that eventually came to be used for all Wisconsin residents. An example of an early lead [[shot tower]] and smelting house is preserved in [[Tower Hill State Park]].

Due to the influx of early miners, the lead mining region became Wisconsin's most populous area at the time. The first capitol of the [[Wisconsin Territory]] was located for a short time at [[Belmont, Wisconsin|Belmont]], Lafayette County in the heart of the lead mining region. The site of the first capitol is preserved at the [[First Capitol Historic Site (Wisconsin)|First Capitol Historic Site]].

Three units of the [[Ice Age National Scientific Reserve]] are located within or adjacent to the Driftless Area: [[Devil's Lake State Park (Wisconsin)|Devil's Lake State Park]], [[Mill Bluff State Park]], and Cross Plains State Park. In addition, the [[Ice Age Trail]] follows the [[Terminal moraine]] of the maximum glacial extent from the last ice age and enters the Driftless Area in several locations.

Other notable natural features include the [[Baraboo Range]] (consisting of two heavily forested, steep, rocky [[quartzite]] ridges with mountain-type scenery), rock formations in [[Natural Bridge State Park (Wisconsin)]], the forested bluffs, floodplains, islands, and sandbars in the Lower Wisconsin River State Riverway, the confluence of the [[Wisconsin River]] with the Mississippi River at [[Wyalusing State Park]], [[Trempealeau Mountain State Natural Area]] in the [[Mississippi River]] valley at [[Perrot State Park]], and the gorge and rock formations surrounding the Wisconsin River at the [[Dells of the Wisconsin River]]. The [[Black River State Forest]] protects a large area of the [[Laurentian Mixed Forest Province|North Woods]], rocky bluffs, sandy plains, and river shoreline on the northeastern edge of the Driftless Area that provides habitat for several [[wolf]] packs and one of Wisconsin's reintroduced [[elk]] herds.

=== Iowa ===
[[File:Lansing IA April 14 2001.jpg|thumb|left|Aerial view looking north, April 14, 2001, with the [[Upper Mississippi River]] at floodstage. At center, the [[Black Hawk Bridge]] is visible. [[Big Lake (Iowa)|Big Lake]] is immediately north. Just south of the bridge one can see the mouth of [[Clear Creek (Allamakee County, Iowa)|Clear Creek]], and just south of this, the mouth of [[Village Creek (Allamakee County, Iowa)|Village Creek]]. The rugged nature of the Driftless Area is evident.]]

An area in northeast Iowa that shares similar topographic characteristics to the Driftless Area in southeastern Wisconsin is the Paleozoic Plateau.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.uni.edu/iowaonline/prairievoices/images/Landforms_of_Iowa.pdf |title=Landforms of Iowa |publisher=Uni.edu |access-date=2015-03-01}}</ref> For counties inland from the Mississippi, evidence is largely confined to the valleys of streams and rivers. It encompasses all of [[Allamakee County, Iowa|Allamakee]], and part of [[Clayton County, Iowa|Clayton]], [[Fayette County, Iowa|Fayette]], [[Delaware County, Iowa|Delaware]], [[Winneshiek County, Iowa|Winneshiek]], [[Howard County, Iowa|Howard]], [[Dubuque County, Iowa|Dubuque]], and [[Jackson County, Iowa|Jackson]] Counties. [[Dubuque, Iowa|Dubuque]] is the only metropolitan area.

The region is distinct from the "Iowan Erosion Surface to the west and the Southern Iowa Drift Plain to the south."<ref name="quaternary">Stephanie A. Tassier-Surine, ([[Iowa Department of Natural Resources]], Geological Survey Bureau), [http://www.iowageology.org/gb70/quaternary.htm Quaternary Geology of the Paleozoic Plateau Region of Northeastern Iowa]; {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110726185410/http://www.iowageology.org/gb70/quaternary.htm |date=2011-07-26 }}, Retrieved July 30, 2007</ref> A line east of the most easterly tributaries of the [[Wapsipinicon River]] defines the western boundary of the landform region, with the catchment of the [[Maquoketa River]] south of [[Bellevue, Iowa|Bellevue]] serving as a southern boundary. The most western tributaries of the [[Upper Iowa River|Upper Iowa]], [[Yellow River (Iowa)|Yellow]], and [[Turkey River (Iowa)|Turkey Rivers]] flow east and south from the vicinity of this moraine.

Outside of [[Dubuque, Iowa|Dubuque]], this region of Iowa is thinly populated. In the western section, agriculture and livestock raising are the norm. As one travels east, and as the valleys tumble down to the Mississippi, much of the land is virtually wild, with a great deal of it publicly owned. The state maintains an extensive number of wildlife management areas, along with state forests and state parks.

The most impressive area is on the Mississippi, between [[Pikes Peak State Park]], opposite the Wisconsin River down to [[Guttenberg, Iowa|Guttenberg]], where bluffs lining the river reach their maximum height. This is apparently an Iowa continuation of Military Ridge, a catchment-defining divide in Wisconsin that was used for the [[Military Ridge Road]], a portion of which is included in [[Military Ridge State Trail]], both across the River in Wisconsin.

[[Effigy Mounds National Monument]] is at the heart of a network of adjacent parks, state forests, preserves, as well as national wildlife refuges, all of which preserve and illustrate the features of the Driftless, where "patchy remnants of Pre-Illinoian glacial drift more than 500,000 years old recently have been discovered in the area."<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20070316153332/http://www.nps.gov/archive/efmo/web/hrs/hrs3.htm "Effigy Mounds Historic Resource Study", Chapter 3, ''Environment'']; , [[National Park Service]], Retrieved July 8, 2007</ref> Additional protected areas are [[Cold Water Spring State Preserve]] near [[Decorah, Iowa|Decorah]], [[Maquoketa Caves State Park]] northwest of [[Maquoketa, Iowa|Maquoketa]], [[Bellevue State Park (Iowa)|Bellevue State Park]] adjacent to [[Bellevue, Iowa|Bellevue]], [[White Pine Hollow State Forest]] (which protects Iowa's only remaining groves of old-growth [[Pinus strobus|white pine]] trees) near Dubuque, and the [[Yellow River State Forest]] in the southeastern corner of [[Allamakee County, Iowa]].

=== Illinois ===
[[File:Looking eastward at Charles Mound, the highest point in Illinois.jpg|thumb|left|[[Charles Mound]], the highest natural point in Illinois at {{convert|1235|ft|m}}{{NAVD88}},<ref name="ngs">{{cite ngs |pid=NJ0855 |name=Charles |access-date=2008-12-17}}</ref> is located in the Illinois portion of the Driftless Area.]]

The Illinois portion of the Driftless Area is confined mainly to [[Jo Daviess County, Illinois|Jo Daviess County]]; western parts of [[Carroll County, Illinois|Carroll County]] (the [[Mississippi Palisades State Park|Mississippi River bluffs]] characteristic of the Driftless terminate around [[Savanna, Illinois|Savanna]]) and a tiny portion of northwest [[Whiteside County, Illinois|Whiteside County]] are also included.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.inhs.uiuc.edu/cwe/rra/site1.html|title=''Illinois Natural History Survey'', 1996|publisher=Inhs.uiuc.edu|access-date=July 7, 2007}}</ref> The region contains the highest points in the state, of which "the most notable are [[Charles Mound]] and Benton Mound, rising to heights of {{convert|1246|ft|m}} and {{convert|1226|ft|m}} respectively."<ref name="IL DNR">{{cite web|url=http://www.dnr.state.il.us/orep/pfc/assessments/dap/ataglance.htm |title=Driftless Area Critical Trends Assessment: The Area at a Glance |publisher=Illinois Department of Natural Resources |access-date=July 9, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714132812/http://www.dnr.state.il.us/orep/pfc/assessments/dap/ataglance.htm |archive-date=July 14, 2014 }}</ref> The region "has many sinkholes and sinkhole ponds."<ref>[http://dnr.state.il.us/lands/education/biodiversity/divisionsections.htm "Illinois' Natural Divisions"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080112165015/http://dnr.state.il.us/lands/education/biodiversity/divisionsections.htm |date=2008-01-12 }}, [[Illinois Department of Natural Resources]], Retrieved July 12, 2007</ref>

The valley of the [[Apple River (Illinois)|Apple River]] has a major canyon, with [[Apple River Canyon State Park|Apple River Canyon]] occupying much of it. The mouth of this river, near [[Hanover, Illinois|Hanover]] adjacent to the former Savanna Army Depot, comes close to the southern end of the Driftless Area on the eastern side of the Mississippi (''see'' [[Lock and Dam No. 13]]).{{cn|date=March 2023}}

As in Wisconsin, the Illinois portion of the driftless area was a major early center for [[lead]] and [[zinc]] mining.{{cn|date=March 2023}}

==See also==
* ''[[A Sand County Almanac]]'', book written by [[Aldo Leopold]] about the flora and fauna in the Coulee region

== References ==
{{Reflist|33em}}

== External links ==
{{Commonscat|Driftless Area}}
{{Wikivoyage}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20060220075943/http://www.tu.org/atf/cf/%7B0D18ECB7-7347-445B-A38E-65B282BBBD8A%7D/Driftless_report_042005.pdf The Driftless Area: A Landscape of Opportunities]
* [http://www.fws.gov/midwest/driftless/ "Driftless Area National Wildlife Refuge"], Retrieved July 23, 2007
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080327184708/http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/habitat/rlandscp/sec4.htm US Geological Survey description] Retrieved July 7, 2007
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070715065104/http://www.nationalatlas.gov/articles/geology/features/driftless.html National atlas description and map] Retrieved July 7, 2007
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20140707091818/http://www.driftlessareainitiative.org/aboutus/defining_driftless.cfm Driftless Area Initiative] Retrieved July 2, 2014
* [https://wgnhs.uwex.edu/pubs/download_m034/ Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey map showing extent of last glaciation]
* [http://www.driftless.wisc.edu Driftless Region Food and Farm Project]
* [https://driftlessareamag.com ''Driftless Area Magazine'']
* [https://iloveinspired.com ''Inspire(d) Driftless Magazine'']

{{Wisconsin}}
{{Illinois}}
{{Iowa}}
{{Minnesota}}
{{Continental Glaciations}}

[[Category:Driftless Area| ]]
[[Category:Geology of Illinois]]
[[Category:Geology of Iowa]]
[[Category:Geology of Minnesota]]
[[Category:Geology of Wisconsin]]
[[Category:Pleistocene]]
[[Category:Regions of Illinois]]
[[Category:Regions of Iowa]]
[[Category:Regions of Minnesota]]
[[Category:Regions of Wisconsin]]