Plateau in the northern United States and southern Canada
The Missouri Coteau, or Missouri Plateau, (
French: Coteau du Missouri) is a large
plateau that stretches along the eastern side of the valley of the
Missouri River in central
North Dakota and north-central
South Dakota in the United States.[1][2] In the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Alberta this physiographic region is classified as the Uplands Missouri Coteau, which is a part of the Great Plains Province or Alberta Plateau Region, which extends across the southwest corner of the province of
Saskatchewan as well as the southeast corner of the province of
Alberta.[3] Historically, in Canada the area was known as the
Palliser's Triangle and regarded as an extension of the
Great American Desert and unsuitable for agriculture and thus designated by Canadian
geographer and
explorerJohn Palliser. The terrain of the Missouri Coteau features low hummocky, undulating, rolling hills, potholes, and grasslands.[4]
Apart from being a geographical area, the Missouri Coteau also has a cultural connection to the people of the area, the
Métis people of South Dakota, along with other Indigenous groups.[5] The history of this plateau is large, and the Missouri Coteau has a significance to these people.[6]
Land and soil
Geologically, the plateau is part of the extended plateau of the
Great Plains in the Dakotas, and is separated from the main plateau to the west by the
Missouri River Trench. The plateau is underlain by
Pierre Shale covered with hardened deposits from repeated
glaciations. The plateau also contains deposits of
lignite,
mirabilite (
sodium sulfate), and
bentonite. While subjected to continental glaciation, it was north and west of the
Driftless Area, an area which escaped glaciation.
Agriculturally, The Missouri Coteau is known for grains and livestock agriculture, because the land cannot sustain many other forms of agriculture or farming.[7]
Agriculture and growing conditions
The Missouri Coteau is known for being an area with difficult growing and agricultural conditions, and this is because of the weather and specific soil conditions of the land that makes growing a difficulty for this area.[8] The plateau is poorly drained and is interspersed with glacial water deposits. This is because of the poor drainage in the area, and the plateau’s close proximity to the
Prairie Pothole Region.[9] It is transversed by several broad
sags marking the ancient stream valleys of the eastern continuations of the
Grand,
Moreau,
Cheyenne,
Bad, and
White rivers. To the east of the plateau, the lowland valley of the
James River was formed by the lobe of the most recent
ice age, separating the plateau from the
Coteau des Prairies substantially. This specific area is also attached to the
Canadian Prairies, with forests and elevated areas remaining at a minimum on these flat lands.[10]
John C. Hudson (8 February 2002). Across This Land: A Regional Geography of the United States and Canada. JHU Press. pp. 296–.
ISBN978-0-8018-6567-1.
Lass, W. (1965). The Fur Trade on the Upper Missouri, 1840-1865. Business History Review (pre-1986), 39(000003), 416 Retrieved from:
https://uottawa primo.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com/primo-explore/search
Penner, Lynden, "Missouri Coteau", The Encyclopedia of The Great Plains, retrieved 2007-05-16
Phillips, R., Beeri, L., & DeKeyser, O. (2005). Remote wetland assessment for Missouri Coteau prairie glacial basins. Wetlands, 25(2), 335-349. Retrieved from:
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1672/10
Richards, J.H.; Fung, K.I. (1969), Atlas of Saskatchewan, University of Saskatchewan: Modern Press
Shjeflo, Jelmer B. "Evapotranspiration and the Water Budget of Prairie Potholes in North Dakota". Archived from the original on 2012-04-26. Retrieved 2012-12-24.