Hydrology and Wetland Restoration for Human Subsistence and Regional Biodiversity - Restorative Redevelopment of Devastated Ecocultural Landscapes - page 124

Red River Elevations

1000

Levee elevation
Record flood

950

Wahpeton

Flood stage

River bed

900

Fargo

850

Halstad

800

Grand

Oslo

750

Drayton

Pembina

700

100 200 300

Distance above Mouth (miles)

400 500 600

FIGURE 9.2 Profiles of the Red River (data from U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and
Federal Emergency Management Agency 2003).

The Red River basin has four general landform regions characterized by elevation,
topography, soils, and stream characteristics, as indicated in Figure 9.2. The follow-
ing descriptions of these landforms are from the highest to the lowest in elevation.

1. Glacial moraine : This headwaters region is characterized by rolling hills,
lakes, depressional wetlands, and variable soils associated with glacial
ground moraine.

2. Lake-washed till plain : This region of the basin is characterized by land
of gradual slope with large areas of nondepressional wetlands and poorly
developed stream networks. Surface soils include large areas of peat lands.

3. Beach ridge areas : The beach ridge areas of glacial Lake Agassiz are char-
acterized by sandy soils, multiple levels of beach ridges, relatively steep
slopes, and incised rivers with relatively narrow floodplains. Wetland areas
often exist on the upstream side of beach ridges.

4. Glacial lake plain : The lowest elevations are within the lake plain of glacial
Lake Agassiz. The land within the glacial lake plain region is extremely
flat with very low surface and river channel gradients. This flat area origi-
nally included large areas of wetlands. The soils are dominated by relatively
impervious lacustrine silts and clays.