What is the driftless region of Iowa?

The "Driftless Region" in Northeast Iowa includes Southwest Wisconsin and Southeast Minnesota, covering 24,103 square miles.

Why is the driftless area so strange?

The driftless area is so different primarily for two reasons: first, its landscape and features were not flattened and transformed by the glaciers themselves; and secondly because the runoff from the melting glaciers further carved and shaped the already strange landscape.

What is the mystery of the idle area?

Mysteries of the Driftless is a documentary about a team of explorers and scientists who kayak down deeply cut tributary valleys, fly in ultralights and climb rocky cliffs to uncover answers to the mysteries of the Driftless.

Why are they called the idlers?

The Driftless Wisconsin area is geologically unique in many respects and is called "Driftless" because it lacks drift. "Drift" refers to the material left behind by glaciers: an aggregate of gravel, boulders, and other telltale debris.

Is Decorah Iowa in the driftless zone?

In the driftless region of northeast Iowa, Decorah has become a magnet for freethinkers, nature lovers and beer geeks. Paddlers explore the Upper Iowa River.

Where is the driveless zone?

The brownfield area is located in the American Midwest, including southwestern Wisconsin, southeastern Minnesota, northeastern Iowa, and northwestern Illinois. The area is noted for the deeply carved river valleys after escaping the ice age during the last ice age.

Is Baraboo in the idle zone?

The Baraboo Range is a syncline located in Columbia and Sauk Counties, Wisconsin. The eastern end of the range was glaciated during the Wisconsin Ice Age, while the western half was not, and therefore marks the eastern limit of Wisconsin's Driftless Area. The city of Baraboo is located in the center of the valley.

Is Galena in the no-drift zone?

Galena, Illinois is located in what is known as the idle zone. The region escaped the flattening effects of the glaciers during the last ice age and is characterized by steep, forested ridges, deeply carved river valleys and spring water waterfalls and cold water trout streams.

How did the idle area come about?

The most recent concept explaining the origin of the driftless area is the pre-Illinoian continental glacier that flowed over the driftless area and deposited on the pre-Illinoian moraine, which is more than 790,000 years old. As the ice retreated and uncovered the area, intensive periglacial erosion removed it.

Is spring green in the driftless area?

Just 2.5 hours west of Milwaukee lies this agricultural, artistic belt – welcome to the Driftless Region.

When did the idle area occur?

This is because about 500 to 375 million years ago, southern Minnesota and surrounding areas were once covered by a shallow, tropical ocean.

How do I see idle decoding?

Watch Decoding the Driftless on Wednesday 16 June at 22.00 on WITF. You can stream WITF TV live on our website and through the PBS Video app on Roku, Apple TV, and iPhone and Android smartphones.

What makes the idle region of Iowa unique?

The Driftless region is home to geography that you won't find anywhere else in the country. Unique driftless formations, such as karst topography and limestone canyons, provide stunning views and showcase a part of Iowa that is truly unique. Iowa's idle region is also home to hundreds of small family farms and plenty of larger operations as well.

How did the idle area get its name?

The driftless area gets its name because it is relatively free of glacial "drift," silt and rock carried elsewhere by Ice Age glaciers. Although prehistoric ice sheets traversed the driftless area on all sides, this region mostly escaped the scouring ice ages that flattened the adjacent landscape.

Where is the idle area in Wisconsin?

About 85% of the idle area is within Wisconsin, which includes much of the southwestern part of the state. The boundary is defined by the drainage of the Chippewa River to the north and somewhat west (or east, depending on whether the southwestern part of Wisconsin's central plain is included) of the north-south line of the Wisconsin River.

Which is the roughest part of the idle area?

The Coulee Region portion of the Driftless Area encompasses much of Wisconsin's Western Upland geographic region. The most rugged part of Wisconsin's Driftless Range is also called the Ocooch Mountains.