Chapter 2 Section 2

Geographic Regions

(and we have a few of them!!!)

Geographic RegionsGeographic Regions

1. High Plains2. Gypsum Hills3. Red Bed Plains4. Wichita Mountains5. Sandstone Hills6. Arbuckle Mountains 7. Prairie Plains8. Ozark Plateau9. Ouachita Mountains10. Red River Plains

High PlainsHigh Plains

• Panhandle and western border; easily noticed from space

• Black Mesa (4,973 feet) in Cimarron County was formed by prehistoric volcano eruption in southeastern Colorado

• Wildlife: quail, dove, duck, wild turkey, pheasant, deer, elk, antelope, and prairie dog

• Lake Optima and Beaver Dunes State Park: great recreational opportunities

• Guymon: largest city in the region

• Major economic producers: cattle, hogs, farming, ranching, petroleum & natural gas

Gypsum HillsGypsum Hills

• Kansas border to the far southwestern corner

• Left when ancient seas evaporated

• Named for the white gypsum buttes

• Springs and caves found in the region – includes: the Alabaster Caverns & the Selman Bat Cave

• Rich soils produce winter wheat, hay, alfalfa, soybeans, & cotton

• Cattle: the primary livestock

• Oil & natural gas in many areas

Red Bed PlainsRed Bed Plains• Red-orange shale and clay soil partly formed from ancient shallow seas;

salt deposits left when the seas evaporated• State rock: the rose rock found near Noble: formed when barium sulfate

combines with quartz sand• The Great Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge: only place in the world

one can dig for hourglass selenite crystals• The Great Salt Plains area: a major resting site for thousands of

migratory birds• Roman Nose State Park: once a Cheyenne campground• Little Sahara State Park: over 1,600 acres of sand dunes ranging from 25

– 75 ft.• Cross Timbers area: blackjack and post oak trees • Fertile soil ideal for growing wheat, hay, peanuts, and cotton – plus

grasslands for cattle and horses• Oil and natural gas wells dot the countryside• Oklahoma City: state’s largest city (532,517)• Earthquakes: occur in many parts of Oklahoma

Wichita MountainsWichita Mountains• 500 million years ago mountains began to form from ancient lava flows• Huge granite boulders popular for rock climbing • 59,000-acre Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge set aside from the Comanche-

Kiowa-Apache Reservation in 1901• Area around the base of the mountains a mixed grass prairie• Buffalo: reintroduced to the refuge in 1907• Longhorn cattle, elk, deer, wild turkey, and numerous smaller animals and birds• Meers near Medicine Park: began as a mining camp resulting from stories of gold

which brought prospectors• Fort Sill (1869): built to stop Indian raids; changed from cavalry to artillery in early

1900s

Sandstone HillsSandstone Hills

• The Tallgrass Prairie Preserve: north of Pawhuska in the Flint Hills, one of North America’s former major ecosystems

• Sandstone and shale are main rocks• Shale erosion – result: sandstone hills up to 400 feet

• Activities include: buffalo graze on tall bluestem, Indian grass, & switchgrass

• Keystone: one of several lakes in the area

• Oilman, Frank Phillips - responsible for Woolaroc Wildlife Preserve and Museum

• Ranching, oil, and natural gas: main industries

• 1920s: the Osage Indians among the wealthiest people in the country due to the discovery of oil

• Greater Seminole Oil Field: 26 pools discovered – ignited growth of many small towns

• Coal mining: spurred growth in the McAlester area

• Tulsa metropolitan area: part of this region

Arbuckle MountainsArbuckle Mountains• West Timbered Hills: highest point – 1,415 feet southwest of Davis

• Range runs east-west

• Part of a very old mountain system

• Exposed granite in Murray County: 1.4 billion years old

• Composed of folded & faulted limestone, dolomite, sandstone, and shale

• Diverse mineral resources: limestone, dolomite, glass sand, granite, sand and gravel, shale, iron ore, lead, zinc, tar sands, oil and gas

• Initial Point Mark: established in 1870 as numbering system for dividing most of the state into townships and sections

• The Chickasaw National Recreation Area: oldest park in Oklahoma

• Turner Falls Park: two natural swimming pools & a 77-foot waterfall

Prairie PlainsPrairie Plains• Contains many hard sandstone hills and ridges• Rich soil: everything from strawberries to tomatoes grown • Water is a major feature of region (Arkansas R.) • Eufaula: state’s largest lake – plus Lake Oologah• Oklahoma Aquarium in Jenks • Home to Port of Catoosa: international shipping port and the most inland,

ice-free port in the United States• McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System: covers 445 river miles• System navigable channel up the Arkansas River to Muskogee• 5 locks and dams in Oklahoma • Tulsa – state’s 2nd largest city• Major coal areas – most is surface mined

Ozark PlateauOzark Plateau• Part of the Ozark Mountain chain of Missouri and

Arkansas• Much of the region heavily wooded: oak, hickory, &

elm• Many fruits, berries, and vegetables grown in area• Contains the Boston Mountains and the Cookson Hills• Two main rivers: Illinois & Grand • The Pensacola Dam: created the Grand Lake O’ the

Cherokees

Ouachita MountainsOuachita Mountains• Region of towering pine and hardwood trees• Some of the roughest land in the state

• Ouachita-Ozark: once a part of a mighty mountain range from the Appalachian Highlands to southwest Texas

• Rich Mountain: highest peak in the region – 2,666 feet high

• East-west ridges in the region: Winding Stair, Jack Fork, Blue Bouncer, & Kiamichi

• Once provided safety for Indian people and hideouts for outlaws

• Very popular parks in the region: Beavers Bend, Robbers Cave, Spiro Mounds, Heavener Runestone, Talimena, Clayton Lake & Lake Wister

• Talimena Drive: especially known for its fall foliage

• Grazing lands, small farms, and lumbering important to the region’s economy

Red River PlainsRed River Plains• Southeastern region: lies along the low elevation

of the Red River – rich, sandy soils & a long growing season

• Ideal for melons, squash, corn, and pumpkins by early Indians

• Red River dams: provide better flood control thus more area available for farming

• Eastern part of region: includes cypress swamps & forests

• Lakes include: Texoma, Murray, and Hugo

• “Great Raft”: 150-mile jam of logs & debris along the Red River in early 1800s

• Forts Towson, Washita, & Arbuckle became a center for Choctaw & Chickasaw cotton plantations