NATURAL AREAS AND REGIONS 



491 



numerable mountain streams are numer- 

 ous cliffs which rise sheer from the 

 water's edge to a height of 200 or 300 

 ft., forming deep canyons through which 

 the swift streams go dashing and plung- 

 ing and foaming among the boulders. 



The Arbuckle Mountains occupy an 

 area of about 860 sq. mi. roughly in the 

 form of a triangle, the base of which is 

 toward the southeast. The surface of 

 this region is in general a plateau sloping 

 from an elevation of 1350 ft. in the west 

 to 750 ft. in the east. It was originally 

 a group of mountains which must have 

 rivalled the highest of the Rockies in 

 elevation and ruggedness, but weather- 

 ing and erosion through the ages have 

 worn away the peaks until only their 

 bases are left to form the plateau. 

 This surface in turn has been consider- 

 ably dissected by erosion so that the 

 streams flow through valleys of con- 

 siderable depth. The most notable 

 stream of this region is the Washita 

 River which has cut a channel in a 

 north-to-south direction, and in its 

 lower course plunges through a narrow 

 gorge in the limestone hills which rise 

 300 ft. above the water level. All the 

 streams of this region are clear and 

 rapid, while many of them have numer- 

 ous beautiful waterfalls. Sink-holes are 

 frequent and some caves have been 

 discovered and explored; none of the 

 latter, however, possess the interest 

 common to limestone caves in other 

 states. The soil in this region is gener- 

 ally thin, sufficing for agriculture only 

 in the valleys, though the hills afford 

 pasture for stock. Transportation facil- 

 ities are poor; the roads are mere trails 

 and the population is sparse. 



The Wichita Mountains extend in two 

 parallel ranges a few miles apart from 

 Fort Sill slightly northwest to Coop- 

 erton, a distance of about 60 mi. 

 They are composed chiefly of a pink 

 granite, except a rather extensive por- 

 tion to the southeast which is largely 

 made up of porphyry. Some of the 

 peaks are rugged and rise to a height of 

 700 to 900 ft. above their bases. Their 

 tops an I sides are generally washed 



almost or quite free of soil, though some 

 of their valleys have sufficient soil to be 

 farmed. The lower hill-tops are either 

 bare or support a scant growth of trees. 

 The greater part of this uplift is in- 

 cluded in the Wichita National Forest 1 

 and Game Reserve, comprising 61,644 

 acres, including a fenced-in bison range 

 of 9760 acres. 



The remainder of the state is rolling 

 country. A strip 15 to 45 mi. wide, 

 extending from the southeastern corner 

 westward for about 170 mi., is a portion 

 of the Gulf Coastal Plain and comprises 

 all the state lying between the Red 

 River and the Ouachita and Arbuckle 

 Mountains. This is a rich farming area 

 and is mostly under cultivation. The 

 na'.ive biota here is distinctly southern 

 in character. 



In the east central part of the ttate 

 is th ' Lower Arkansas River Valley 

 Region, a narrow triangular be't with 

 its base at the Arkansas state line and its 

 apex at the eastern end of the Arbuckle 

 Mountains. This is a highland plain 

 through which the streams have cut 

 rather broad; deep valleys, leaving the 

 hill-tops broad and flat. A few isolated 

 peaks rise above this plain to an eleva- 

 tion of 1500 ft. or more. Most of the 

 hills are covered with scrubby timber 

 and a good growth of native grass. The 

 greater part of this region is too broken 

 for agriculture, so that grazing and coal 

 mining are the principal industries. 



The Prairie Plains Region is a triangu- 

 lar belt running north of the Lower 

 Arkansas River Valley to the west of the 

 Ozarks. In general the 95th parallel 

 forms its western boundary; the Kansas 

 sta'e line its base; while its apex is on 

 Muddy Boggy Creek about 20 mi. east 

 of Ada. The surface slopes to the south- 

 east in a series of escarpments with the 

 gentler slopes to the westward. The 

 soils are fairly deep and of moderate 

 fertility, the native grasses furnishing 

 a fine grade hay crop. 



The Sandstone Hills Region is an 

 elongated, fairly rectangular area 

 bounded on the south by the Arbuckle 



1 "National Forests of the Eastern District." 



