Drift Prairie facts for kids

The Drift Prairie is a cool natural area in North Dakota and South Dakota. It's a land of rolling hills and pretty lakes that were shaped by huge sheets of ice long, long ago!

The Drift Prairie: A Special Place

What is the Drift Prairie?

The Drift Prairie is a unique part of the central United States. It's mostly made up of gently rolling hills and many shallow lakes. These features were created by something called glacial action. This means that giant sheets of ice, called glaciers, moved across the land thousands of years ago. As they moved, they scraped the ground and left behind a special type of soil.

This special soil is called drift. Drift is a mix of clay, sand, and gravel. It was carried and dropped by the melting glaciers. This rich soil makes the Drift Prairie a great place for plants to grow, especially prairie grasses and crops like wheat.

The Drift Prairie in North Dakota

In North Dakota, the Drift Prairie acts like a middle ground between two other interesting areas. To the west, you have the Badlands. The Badlands look very different because glaciers didn't shape them. To the east, you'll find the Red River Valley, which used to be a giant lake bed!

The Drift Prairie in North Dakota has gently rolling hills and many small lakes. It's also home to the Souris River basin. This area is perfect for growing wheat and for raising cattle on the wide-open prairie.

The Drift Prairie in South Dakota

Most of the eastern part of South Dakota is covered by the Drift Prairie. The mighty Missouri River flows right through the middle of the state. To the east of the river, you'll find the low hills and lakes that make up the Drift Prairie.

This area is bordered on the east by the Minnesota River Valley. On the west, it meets the James River Basin. Just like in North Dakota, the land here is great for farming and ranching.