46 Kansas Academij of Science. 



southern side of the trough of the Kansas river, Kaw lake 

 found an outlet eastward and ceased to flow over into Mill 

 creek, and the Wakarusa dwindled to an insignificant stream. 

 The Kansas river was for a time a more magnificent stream 

 than ever before. Lake Washington had probably emptied it- 

 self before Kaw lake began to decline. 



Much of the sand and mud which had accumulated in the 

 latter was swept away and contributed to terraces at several 

 points in the valley below. For example, the capping of the 

 lower chert gravels, the high terrace northwest of Lawrence 

 and northeast of Mud creek, also south of Eudora. Meanwhile 

 the ice had withdrawn from Kansas City, Mo., so that the 

 Kansas and the newly formed Missouri had their present 

 courses, but at a higher level. The most thrilling chapter 

 of the story has been told. What reniains is a rapid decline 

 to the present commonplace conditions. 



Kansas during the Illinoian and loiran Stages. After the 

 Kansan, the western side of the ice drained entirely through 

 the Missouri, so far as Kansas was concerned. In other words, 

 the Big Blue ceased to receive anj^ drainage from the ice. 



We know no reason for thinking that the streams of that 

 time were any larger than those at present, except the Missouri, 

 and that may have received little, for the relation of the lowan 

 to it has not been determined. 



The streams of Kansas, therefore, simply cut down their 

 channels, much as at present, but were still considerably 

 higher than at present. Meanwhile the loess overlying the 

 till was slowly accumulating. 



The Wisconsin Stage. This stage saw extensive ice sheets 

 filling the James river valley of South Dakota and the Des 

 Moines valley in central Iowa. Both contributed largely to 

 the Missouri. 



In the recession from the Wisconsin stage the Missouri 

 was probably greatly flooded and carried abundance of silt. 

 This would explain the thick silt deposits, which have been 

 called the lower loess at Kansas City. The Kansas river was 

 swollen by backwater, and formed similar terraces on a 

 smaller scale. This was the last prominent event of the story. 

 With the decline of the flood closed the last chapter of the ice 

 age, so far as Kansas was concerned. 



