THE TOPOGRAPHY AND HYDROGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS Ixvii 



V 



lying entirely within the limits of the Illinoisan drift. Part of 

 the land is quite broken by hills and ledges which range in 

 elevation from 10 to 80 feet above the high-water mark of the 

 streams. A large part of the country, however, is level, and 

 much of the land may be termed ''wet," with here and there a 

 not inconsiderable swamp or pond occupying, probably, old 

 waterways. The basin is crossed by '' Gold Hill, " which extends 

 through Gallatin and Hamilton counties in an east and west 

 direction. This ridge, which attains a height of 343 feet above 

 the high-water mark of the Ohio River, is crossed by the Saline 

 River a few miles below^ Equality. The soil is light-colored clay 

 loam, and a large part of it is still covered with thick timber. 



The river is formed in western Gallatin county by the 

 union of North and South forks, the latter being joined b}^ 

 Middle Fork in the southeastern part of Sahne county. From 

 the point of its formation the main stream pursues its course 

 along the base of the Ozark ridge in a southeasterly direction, 

 emptying into the Ohio River in northeast Hardin county. The 

 three forks of the river and their principal tributaries are, in the 

 main, re-established along preglacial lines, and take meandering 

 courses through broad valleys which have been filled to an 

 elevation of 50 to 100 feet or more above their rock bottoms. 



The main river is about 16 miles long, and in this distance it 

 makes a descent of onl\' about 35 feet. The banks of the river 

 along its northern border are low, but on the south they rise 

 abruptly and often to a height of 150 feet, especially in the upper 

 half, where the river hugs more closely the base of the ridge. 

 The South Fork is about 49 miles in length. In the first half 

 mile, as it descends the ridge, it falls 50 feet, but the fall grad- 

 ually diminishes to 50 feet in the last 24 miles. Its total descent 

 is about 300 feet. The banks are rather high, especially along 

 the south, where they rise 50 to 60 feet above the water's edge. 

 Middle Fork is only about 26 miles long, with a fall of about 60 

 feet. North Fork in the first mile of its course has a fall of 

 about 30 feet. In the remaining 43 miles a descent of about 

 60 feet is made. The banks of this stream are low and subject 

 to frequent overflow. In southeastern Hamilton county the 

 course of the North Fork is entireh^ lost for about 3 miles as it 

 crosses a swamp. 



The course of the main stream is crooked and the current 

 sluggish, with long stretches of quiet water where soft black ooze 

 can accumulate year after year, and where a typically lacustrine 



