SOIL SURVEY OF WRIGHT COUNTY, IOWA. 



By T. H. BENTON of the Iowa Agricultural Experiment Station, In Charge, and 

 C. O. JAECKEL, of the U. S. Department of Agriculture. — Area Inspected by 

 THOMAS D. RICE. 



DESCRIPTION OF THE ABEA. 



Wright Coiint}^, Iowa, is located about midway between the center 

 of the State and its northern boundary and lies in the third tier of 

 counties south of the Minnesota State line. The southeastern corner 

 of the county is G6 miles due north of Des Moines. The county 

 is bounded on the north by Hancock County, on the east by Franklin 

 County, on the south by Hamilton County, and on the west by Web- 

 ster and Humboldt Counties. It is composed of 16 townships, form- 

 ing an approximate square, and comprises an area of 575 square miles, 

 or 368,000 acres. 



The area lies wholly within the region overrun by the Wisconsin 

 ice sheet, and the topography is largely 

 conshnictional ; that is, the surface fea- 

 tures were formed by the deposition of 

 glacial debris and not modified to anj^ 

 great extent by subsequent erosion. The 

 county has two general types of to- 

 pogTaphj', a relatively smooth till plain 

 and a morainic hilly region. A line 

 drawn from the center of the northern 

 boundary of the county to a point on the 

 southern boundary about 5 miles west of 

 the southeastern corner will roughly divide the till plain on the west 

 from the morainic hills on the east. 



The till plain is characterized by nearly level to undulating topog- 

 raphy. Boone Eiver and its few tributaries have not yet eroded 

 valleys but flow in narrow channels. Their minor drainage ways have 

 not penetrated over the whole surface, so that areas of several square 

 miles may be untouched by streams, and many streams that penetrate 

 flat areas do not as yet carry away efficiently the surplus water. The 

 flat topography and restricted drainage are indicated by the fact 



5 



Fig. 1. — Sketch luai-t .showing,'- lo- 

 cation of the Wright County 

 area, Iowa. 



