Coteau des Prairies facts for kids

The Coteau des Prairies is a large, flat-topped hill, also known as a plateau. It stretches for about 200 miles (320 km) long and 100 miles (160 km) wide. You can find it in eastern South Dakota, southwestern Minnesota, and northwestern Iowa in the United States. A part of the Coteau in Minnesota is called Buffalo Ridge.

The Coteau des Prairies: blue arrows show how two parts of a giant glacier moved around this landform.

This map from 1814 by Lewis and Clark shows rivers in western Iowa and eastern South Dakota. The Coteau des Prairies is in the upper middle, called "High land covered with wood called mountain of the prairie."

How the Coteau des Prairies Got Its Name

Early French explorers from New France (which is now Quebec) gave this plateau its name. They called it Coteau des Prairies. In French, coteau means "hill."

So, the name means "hill of the prairies." The word coteau is now used in English too. It describes any high ridge that divides land.

Shaped by Ice: The Glaciers

The Coteau des Prairies was formed by many glaciers over a long time. These giant sheets of ice left behind thick layers of rock and dirt. These layers are called glacial deposits. They are about 900 feet (275 meters) thick in some places.

Underneath these deposits is a smaller ridge. This ridge is made of strong Cretaceous shale rock. During the last Ice Age, huge glaciers moved across the land. Two parts of the Laurentide glacier, called the James lobe and the Des Moines lobe, split around the Coteau. They flowed on either side of this existing plateau. This movement made the lowlands next to the plateau even deeper.

Nature and Resources of the Coteau

The Coteau des Prairies has many small glacial lakes. Water from the plateau flows into rivers like the Big Sioux River in South Dakota. It also drains into the Cottonwood River in Minnesota.

For hundreds of years, Native Americans have dug for a special stone here. This stone is called pipestone. It is a brownish-red mineral that is highly valued. Native Americans use it to make their sacred ceremonial pipes. You can find these quarries at Pipestone National Monument in southwestern Minnesota. There are also quarries in nearby Minnehaha County, South Dakota.

The Coteau des Prairies is also a windy place. Because of the strong winds, many wind farms have been built there. These farms use large wind turbines to create electricity.

Photos from North Dakota

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  Northern tip of Coteau des Prairies, as seen from 139th Ave SE near Havana, ND

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  Coteau des Prairies as seen from the northeast, near Lidgerwood, ND

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  The northern head of the Coteau des Prairies, as seen from the Northeast near Lidgerwood, ND.

See also

In Spanish: Meseta de las Praderas para niños