The South Fork Ninnescah River is a river in the central Great Plains of North America . Its entire length lies within the U.S. state of Kansas . It is a tributary of the Ninnescah River .
15-688: The South Fork Ninnescah River originates in south-central Kansas in the High Plains . Its source lies in west-central Pratt County approximately 2 miles (3.2 km) southwest of Cullison, Kansas . From there, it flows generally east into the Wellington Lowlands. In southwestern Sedgwick County , it meets the North Fork Ninnescah River to form the Ninnescah River . This article related to
30-945: A river in Kansas is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . High Plains (United States) The High Plains are a subregion of the Great Plains , mainly in the Western United States , but also partly in the Midwest states of Nebraska, Kansas, and South Dakota, generally encompassing the western part of the Great Plains before the region reaches the Rocky Mountains . The High Plains are located in eastern Montana , southeastern Wyoming , southwestern South Dakota , western Nebraska , eastern Colorado , western Kansas , eastern New Mexico ,
45-475: A weather event that occurred in Browning, Montana , from January 23–24, 1916, when the temperature fell from 44 to −56 °F (7 to −49 °C). This is the world record for the greatest temperature change in 24 hours. The region is known for the steady, and sometimes intense, winds that prevail from the west. The winds add a considerable wind chill factor in the winter. The development of wind farms in
60-666: Is key habitat for declining flora and fauna species, such as greater sage-grouse ( Centrocercus urophasianus ) and pygmy rabbit ( Brachylagus idahoensis ). Sagebrush steppe is a threatened ecosystem in many regions. It was once prevalent in the regions that form the Intermountain West such as the Great Basin and Colorado Plateau . It has become fragmented and degraded by many forces. Steppe has been overgrown with introduced species and has changed to an ecosystem resembling pine and juniper woodland, which has changed
75-566: Is usually used for a subregion instead of the whole of the Great Plains. The High Plains has a "cold semi-arid" climate — Köppen BSk —receiving between 10–20 in (250–510 mm) of precipitation annually. Due to low moisture and high elevation, the High Plains commonly experience wide ranges and extremes in temperature. The temperature range from day to night is usually 30 °F (~16.5 °C), and 24-hour temperature shifts of 100 °F (~55.5 °C) are possible, as evidenced by
90-609: The Oklahoma Panhandle , and the Texas Panhandle . The southern region of the Western High Plains ecology region contains the geological formation known as Llano Estacado which can be seen from a short distance or on satellite maps. From east to west, the High Plains rise in elevation from around 1,500 to 6,000 ft (460 to 1,830 m). The term "Great Plains", for the region west of about
105-449: The fire regime of the landscape, increasing fuel loads and increasing the chance of unnaturally severe wildfires. Cheatgrass ( Bromus tectorum ) is also an important introduced plant species that increases fire risk in this ecosystem. Other forces leading to these habitat changes include fire suppression and overgrazing of livestock. Besides severe fire, consequences of the breakdown of sagebrush steppe include increased erosion of
120-664: The 96th or 98th meridian and east of the Rocky Mountains, was not generally used before the early 20th century. Nevin Fenneman's 1916 study, Physiographic Subdivision of the United States , brought the term Great Plains into more widespread usage. Prior to 1916, the region was almost invariably called the High Plains, in contrast to the lower Prairie Plains of the Midwestern states. Today, the term "High Plains"
135-610: The High Plains have significant petroleum and natural gas deposits. The combination of oil, natural gas, and wind energy, along with plentiful underground water, has allowed some areas (such as West Texas ) to sustain a range of economic activity, including occasional industry. For example, the ASARCO refinery in Amarillo, Texas has been in operation since 1924 due to the plentiful and inexpensive natural gas and water that are needed in metal ore refining. The High Plains has one of
150-460: The High Plains is one of the newest areas of economic development. The High Plains are anomalously high in elevation. An explanation has recently been proposed to explain this high elevation. As the Farallon plate was subducted into the mantle beneath the region, water trapped in hydrous minerals in the descending slab was forced up into the lower crust above. Within the crust, this water caused
165-426: The forms of cattle ranching and the growing of wheat , corn , and sunflower is the primary economic activity in the region. The region's aridity necessitates either dryland farming methods or irrigation; much water for irrigation is drawn from the underlying Ogallala Aquifer , which makes it possible to grow water-intensive crops such as corn, which the region's aridity would otherwise not support. Some areas of
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#1732782378590180-404: The hydration of dense garnet and other phases into lower density amphibole and mica minerals. The resulting increase in crustal volume raised the elevation by about one mile. Typical plant communities of the region are shortgrass prairie , prickly pear cacti and scrub . Sagebrush steppe is also present, particularly in high and dry areas closer to the Rocky Mountains. Agriculture in
195-424: The lowest population densities of any region in the continental United States; Wyoming , for example, has the second lowest population density in the country after Alaska . In contrast to the stagnant population growth in the northern and western High Plains, cities in west Texas have shown sustained growth; Amarillo and Lubbock both have populations above 200,000 and have continued to grow. Smaller towns, on
210-567: The other hand, often struggle to sustain their population . Sagebrush steppe Sagebrush steppe also known as the sagebrush sea, is a type of shrub-steppe , a plant community characterized by the presence of shrubs , and usually dominated by sagebrush , any of several species in the genus Artemisia . This ecosystem is found in the Intermountain West in the United States . The most common sagebrush species in
225-440: The sagebrush steppe in most areas is big sagebrush ( Artemisia tridentata ). Others include three-tip sagebrush ( Artemisia tripartita ) and low sagebrush ( Artemisia arbuscula ). Sagebrush is found alongside many species of grasses. Sagebrush steppe is a diverse habitat, with more than 350 recorded vertebrate species. It is also open rangeland for livestock, a recreation area, and a water source in otherwise arid regions. It
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