HISTORY OF WAKARUSA CREEK. 



By J. E. Todd. Lawrence. 



WAKARUSA CREEK presents several peculiarities which 

 attract attention. It is one of the few streams of Kansas 

 which run due east throughout its course. It has a valley rivaling 

 in width that of the Kansas. It shows in unusual degree the pres- 

 ence of red boulders from the north, and these have a peculiar dis- 

 tribution. Moreover, there are a few cases of so-called "stream 

 piracy" and changes of channel. 



The writer's attention was drawn to this stream because of its 

 evident relations to the glacial deposits of the state, the study of 

 which he has undertaken for the State Geological Survey, and it is 

 with the permission of the director. Doctor Haworth, that this 

 paper is presented at this time. 



The writer's acquaintance with the subject has been much ac- 

 celerated by information received from Doctor Haworth, Mr. Ben- 

 nett and others of the Survey and by articles published by Messrs. 

 Mudge and Hay, and particularly from the papers of Mr. Smythe, 

 who published a map showing some of the more significant features. 



The basin of the Wakarusa is about fifty miles long and from 

 ten to fifteen miles wide. Its topography is quite varied, which is 

 a natural result of erosion on its geological structure. The bed- 

 rock consists of several thin layers of limestone alternating with 

 thick beds of shaly clay, including some not very extensive lenses 

 of soft sandstone. All these dip slightly to the northwest. The 

 larger streams have an easterly trend, or in an opposite direction to 

 the dip. Conspicuous features, therefore, are several zigzag es- 

 carpments, the eastern edges of as many narrow rock-terraces, 

 crossing the country in a north and northeasterly direction. Where 

 these cross divides they make them considerably higher ; where 

 they cross streams their valleys are narrow and rocky. The prin- 

 cipal one, and farthest east, is that of the Oread limestone. That 

 of the Topeka limestone is less marked, while that of the Burlin- 

 game is more prominent and crosses only the headwaters. Below 

 the last are the Scranton and Severy shales, 125 to 150 feet thick, 

 which correspond to the low divide south and southeast of Topeka. 

 Beneath the Oread are the Lawrence and LeRoy shales, 250 to 275 

 feet thick, which account for the great width of the lower part of 

 the Wakarusa valley and its junction with the Kansas. 



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