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Geomorphic interpretation of the Montcalm Rolling Hills physiographic region

Michael J. Michalek

Abstract

This paper focuses on the Montcalm Rolling Hills (MRH) physiographic region in central Lower

Michigan. In this paper, I will describe the distribution of landforms and soils in the area. The

distributions of soils and subsurface sediments are spatially variable throughout the region, with mucky

lowlands, sandy textured uplands, with clay loam/loamy textures found frequently in the southwest.

Landforms in the region include moderately-sized rolling hills interspersed with poorly drained areas,

kettle lakes, and small stream valleys. The MRH region boundary separates a unique assemblage of histic

soils, drainage networks, kettle lakes, rolling topography, and its general northwest-southeast landscape

orientation from high morainic uplands, loamy plains, and sandy flats. Two field trips were taken in the

region to interpret these features and to document this expansive region’s geomorphology. This report

reviews the differences that the MRH region exhibits from its surrounding physiographic regions and

provides recommendations for possible boundary changes based on field and map interpretations.

Introduction

The MRH physiographic region was defined and mapped by Schaetzl et al. in their paper

“Mapping the Physiography of Michigan with GIS” (Schaetzl et al., in press). In the paper, 91 minor

physiographic units were mapped throughout Michigan, often based on factors such as terrain, sediment

and rock types, soils, and geologic/glacial history. The boundary of the MRH region surrounds the area’s

physical attributes and is different from the surrounding physiographic regions. Five different

physiographic regions surround the MRH region: the Fruit Ridge Terrain, the Lansing Loamy Plains, the

West Branch Moraine, the Cadillac Morainic Uplands, and the Idlewild Sandy Flats and Hills (Figure 1).

These neighboring regions all vary or differ in landforms and soils from that of the MRH. The mostly

sandy textured soils of the MRH region are a result of glaciation, primarily associated with the retreat of

the Saginaw Lobe around 17,000 ka. As a result, many glacial landforms such as kettles, eskers, and melt

water channels exist in the MRH region. The purpose of this paper is to interpret the soils and landforms

found throughout much of the MRH physiographic region and to examine and define the differences

between the MRH and its neighboring regions.

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Figure 1. Elevation map of the Montcalm Rolling Hills Physiographic region

Montcalm Rolling Hills Physiographic Region

The MRH region has an aerial extent of 2,249,841 km2. It is contained mostly within Montcalm

and Kent Counties, also extending into parts of Mecosta, Newaygo, Ionia, Gratiot, and Isabella Counties.

Elevation in the region ranges from about 195 m above sea level in the southern river valleys to >340 m

in Montcalm County’s uplands. Annual precipitation in the region averages approximately 78 cm.

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Snowfall amounts to around 114 cm annually uniformly in the east, with higher accumulations in the west

(increased lake effect snowfall) (Montcalm County Community Information Center, 2012). The average

temperature for much of the region is just over 8oC, with temperatures commonly reaching well below

freezing in the winter and summer highs nearing 38oC.

These climatic and geomorphic conditions allow for considerable agriculture in the region. Corn,

grain, soybeans, and potatoes are grown in large amounts throughout much of the MRH physiographic

region. Montcalm County is Michigan’s largest producer of potatoes, dedicating 11,900 acres for the crop

in 2000 (USDA, 2000).

The MRH region’s largest towns are Greenville (8,460), Belding (5,764), Cedar Springs (3,543),

Lowell (3,819), Howard City (1,804), Stanton (1,415), and Edmore (1,199) (Figure 2) (Michigan

Department of Technology, Management & Budget, 2010). Nonagricultural lands are composed of

hardwood pine forests in the northern extent of the region and oak savannas to the south (Figure 3).

Figure 2. Major towns and villages in the MRH region including their populations as of 2010.

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Soils of the Montcalm Rolling Hills

Two soil-related trips were taken during the

months of September and October 2012, with the goal

of examining the differences in soil texture and

parent material deposition in the MRH region. Sand/

gravel pits were located using a USGS topographic

quadrangle prior to fieldwork. Surface soil texture

and parent material maps were also analyzed

to locate potential augering locations. Shapefiles of

sand/gravel pits and auguring locations were created

using ArcGIS 10 to aid in fieldwork. A laptop with a Figure 3. Southern MRH Oak Savanna (Photographed by author)

built-in GPS was then used to locate the auguring and pit areas previously discussed. Auger holes were

excavated in muck, clay, and loamy soils to verify textural and other soil mapping information.

Field observations and GIS data indicated that the MRH region is composed of mainly sandy

textured soils. Although the region’s main texture class is sandy loam, loamy and clayey soils are also

found throughout the research area. Most tilled uplands are on loamy soils throughout the entire region

and are found in general abundance. Clayey soils are found generally in two main locations in the MRH

region; in a lateral band oriented northeast-southwest located in the western extent of the research area

and in the southern reaches of the region in Kent County (Figure 4). This lateral band of clay-textured

soils spanning from the Fruit Ridge Terrain well into the MRH may be a remnant Saginaw Lobe deposit,

as it nears the interlobate region to the west. Muck soils are also found throughout the MRH region, in

low lying areas. The very poorly drained soils in these lowlands are mapped as Histosols. Histosols are

composed mainly of organic materials typically formed in settings where poor drainage inhibits the

decomposition of plant and animal remains (Schaetzl and Anderson, 2005). The Histosols augured during

field observations were Saprists, which are dominantly composed of highly decomposed organic matter,

commonly known as muck (Figure 5).

Soil pits examined throughout the MRH region came from semi-deep subsurface analysis of soils.

Because this area was recently glaciated, soils in the region have parent materials of mainly glacial

outwash (stratified glacial sediments; normally sandy) or glacial till (unsorted glacial sediments; normally

clayey and loamy textured, with mixed gravel and cobbles). Lacustrine (lake deposited) parent materials

are not found on the higher landforms of the MRH. The closest lacustrine parent materials in proximity to

the MRH are found to the east of the Lansing Loamy Plains region, in former Glacial Lake Saginaw and

related drainage channels (Figure 6). Till, and especially outwash, are the most common parent materials

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Figure 4. Subsurface texture map of the Montcalm Rolling Hills Physiographic region with mapping suggestion.

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in the MRH region. Pits examined near Langston,

Vestaburg, Sand Lake, Fenwick, Smyma, and

Crystal all showed large amounts of stratified

sands. These stratified sands were more commonly

observed in the western extent of the MRH region,

possibly because of multiple outwash sources near

the interlobate margin. A relatively thin layer of

till was noticed in almost all of the pits examined

in the region. This till has clayey or loamy textures

and greater gravel/cobble contents than the under Figure 5. Fish Creek Muck; Saprist Histosol (Photographed by author)

and overlying outwash (Figure 7). The till may have been deposited when the overlying glacial front

retreated slowly over the pit locations, depositing coarse, hard to transport materials at the glacial margin.

Sandy outwash which is found above the glacial till would have then been deposited on top of the coarser

material as the margin of the Saginaw Lobe further retreated back toward the northeast. These finer sands

were washed many kilometers from the glacial front and finally deposited where the glacial melt water

could no longer transport the material.

Figure 6. Glacial Lakes of Lower Michigan: 13,000 years BP. Figure 7. Stratified sands, clays, and till near Langston, MI

Glacial Lake Saginaw drained westerly through what is now the (Photographed by author)

Maple and Grand Rivers into Glacial Lake Chicago.

(Figure produced by author)

Evidence of pedogenesis (soil evolution) was observed in the MRH region soil pits. The major

form of pedogenesis noticed was the soil forming process suite of translocation. Translocated clay has

accumulated in the B horizons of these pedons by percolating water. In some areas the clay accumulations

have a smooth boundary, while in others an extremely wavy boundary is noticed (Figure 8). Weak B

horizons, moderately thin A horizons, and infrequent thin E horizons have formed above these clay

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textured soils. Pedogenic processes in this area have only had around 14,000 years to form the present day

solum, making these soils relatively young (Blewett et al., 2009).

Figure 8. Clay translocated soils and till near Vestaburg, MI Figure 9. Montcalm County Uplands (Photographed by author)

(Photographed by author)

Montcalm Rolling Hills Landforms

Rolling hills, which the region is named after, dominate the entire MRH region. Small rolling

hills are found in the south and east, while larger more continuous terrain is found near the Saginaw-Lake

Michigan interlobate boundary to the west. The highest elevations of the region are found in the uplands

(Figure 9) throughout much of central Montcalm County.

Multiple landforms are noticed in the MRH region, e.g., kettle lakes (Figure 10) and continuous

rolling hills. Kettle lakes (produced from buried ice blocks near glacial fronts) are abundant throughout

the entire region and vary in size from tens of meters to kilometers in diameter. The linearity of these

kettles is very apparent in central Montcalm County, where they attain a northwest-southeast orientation.

The MRH region also contains a small number of eskers (long winding ridges of stratified

outwash formed in ice walled tunnels) located in the northwestern part of the region, near Coral. These

eskers have northwest-southeast linearity across the landscape and are mainly composed of sands and fine

gravels (Figure 11). The eskers found in the region are most likely remnant fluvial deposits from

subsurface glacial streams (Figure 12) flowing northwesterly toward the present day Little Muskegon

River. Small streams and rivers flow primarily north-south in the region, with the exception of the Little

Muskegon River in the western portion on the research area. Many of these streams (Flat River, Little

Muskegon River, Fish Creek, and Dickerson Creek) find their headwaters in the northern portion of the

research area. The origins of the above streams are found in kettles or in wetlands, and all flow to Lake

Michigan via the Grand River or the Muskegon River with the exception of the Pine River to the east,

which flows to Lake Huron (Figure 13). Small wetlands are also scattered throughout the MRH region,

these wetlands are usually found near streams, kettles, or in low lying areas between small uplands. The

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largest wetland area is found in the northeastern portion of the region near the headwaters of Fish Creek.

This area is expansive with deep mucky soils that follow the curvature of the creek. This area is

undoubtedly a former glacial channel (Figure 4).

Figure 10. Kettle Lake near Stanton, MI (Photographed by author) Figure 11. Esker sediments near Coral, MI (Photographer by author)

Figure 12. Diagram of glacial features (Groundspeak, Inc. 2012) Figure 13. The watersheds of the MRH region. The Grand and

Muskegon Rivers drain much of the region into Lake Michigan, while

the Pine River drains the northeast portion of the MRH to Lake Huron.

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Surrounding Physiographic Regions

According to Schaetzl et al., in press, the MRH physiographic region is surrounded by five other

large physiographic regions, each with different physical characteristics. The region that shares the

longest border with the MRH is the Lansing Loamy Plains (LLP) to the southeast (Figure 1). The LLP is

expansive, stretching across much of central Lower Michigan. The LLP differs from the MRH in many

aspects. Noticeably, fewer kettle lakes, a northwest-southeast landscape linearity, and lower topography

epitomize much of the LLP (Table 1). Finer (loamy) textured soils are also abundant and were used to set

the MRH eastern boundary between sandy and loamy textured soils. Complex glaciofluvial sediments and

features (moraines, eskers, kames) are also more noticeable on the LLP landscape (Figure 12). Larger

incised river channels such as the Grand River flow through the LLP. Channels such as the Grand River

are much larger than the channels in the MRH region and are very noticeable on the flatter landscape of

the LLP.

Table 1. Differences in soil texture, maximum elevation, farming outputs, mean annual precipitation, mean annual snowfall, glacial features

present, drainage classification, parent materials, terrain, and drainage locations among each of the MRH’s neighboring physiographic regions.

The second longest boundary the MRH shares is with the Fruit Ridge Terrain to the west. This

boundary is clearly marked along the eastern extent of the hilly Lake Michigan-Saginaw interlobate area

(Figures 14 and 15). The Fruit Ridge Terrain has noticeably fewer kettle lakes and organic soils, as

compared to the MRH. Defined drainage networks and dissected stream valleys divide the landscape.

Examples of these dissected stream valleys in the Fruit Ridge Terrain are the Muskegon River (Figure 16)

and Grand River. Although the MRH is known for its agriculture (USDA, 2000), the Fruit Ridge Terrain

region is known particularly for its fruit production (Hull and Hansen, 2009). The Fruit Ridge Terrain’s

close proximity to Lake Michigan moderates temperatures, which makes it ideal for fruit production.

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Figure 15. The landscape of the Saginaw-Lake Michigan interlobate

in southern-Lower Michigan. (Photographed by author)

Figure 14. Glacial Lobes of Lower Michigan interacting. Notice the

Saginaw-Lake Michigan interlobate area, which is responsible for

the western boundary of the MRH region (Kehew et al., 2011)

The Fruit Ridge Terrain’s moderately light

textured, fertile soils, on relatively high slopes

where spring frosts are not as prevalent, help to

make it a producer of apples, pears, and plums.

Kent County alone produces 21% of Michigan’s Figure 16. Deeply dissected Muskegon River (Photographed by author)

apple crop (Hull et al., 2009). Because this region’s location near Lake Michigan, increased annual

precipitation and lake effect snow accumulations are also experienced in comparison with the MRH

(Figure 17).

The three northerly bordering regions share much shorter boundaries with the MRH region. The

West Branch Moraine region along the Mecosta and Isabella county line to the north has distinctly higher

topography than the MRH (Table 1). The hummocky topography of the West Branch Moraine is thought

to be remnants of a morainal complex from the northern reaches of the Saginaw Lobe (Kehew et al.,

2011). The West Branch Moraine region contains many dry kettles, which is different from the wet kettle

lakes of the MRH region. The West Branch Moraine’s rugged sandy/sandy clay loam landscape is what

differentiates itself from the MRH research area. The westerly adjacent Cadillac Morainic Uplands region

is similar to the West Branch Moraine in that high relief, kettles, and sandy soils are abundant.

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Figure 17. Mean annual precipitation in the MRH region. Note the increase in precipitation total in the western regions.

The Cadillac Morainic Uplands are different from the MRH in that the Cadillac Morainic Upland’s relief

is much higher (Figure 18). Some of the highest elevations in the Lower Peninsula are found in the

Cadillac Morainic Uplands (Table 1) which was formed from the complex joining of what is thought to

be multiple ice lobes (Lake Michigan Lobe and others) (Kehew et al., 2011). Loamy soils can be found

intermittently throughout the Cadillac Morainic Uplands. The Muskegon River dissects the center of the

Cadillac Morainic Uplands in a southerly course toward Lake Michigan. The high topography and its

relative proximity to Lake Michigan promote increased snowfall accumulations, above those found in the

MRH. Finally, the region with the shortest border which borders the MRH region is the Idlewild Sand

Flats & Hills to the northwest. The Idlewild Sand Flats & Hills region differentiates itself from the MRH

region with its many rolling sandy hills, rugged escarpments, and broad valleys that can be found

throughout the region. Isolated Histosols in poorly drained valleys are found in what normally is a

generally wet and sandy landscape. Like the Fruit Ridge Terrain orchards are prevalent because of the

region’s relative location to Lake Michigan.

The above differences in topography, soils, land use, and small climatic variations were the basis

for the physiographic region boundaries in the area. These boundaries are placed with well thought out

accuracy based on map and field interpretation. The MRH area is in an interesting geographical area

between high morainic complexes to the north, flat plains to the southeast, and the moderate rolling

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topography of an interlobate region to the west

(Figure 18). Muck, clay, and loamy soils are

relatively well-dispersed throughout the MRH and

neighboring regions. This makes boundary

placement difficult in the alternating soils of the

MRH region’s rolling landscape. While most of the

boundary placement was based on topography, a

boundary change based on subsurface sediments is

suggested in the southern MRH region (Figure 4).

The justification for the change is based on the high

amount of clay and loamy textured soils, which is

not particularly common throughout much of the

rest of the MRH region. It is suggested that this area

be included in the Lansing Loamy Plains where

these types of subsurface sediments are highly

common.

Figure 18. Local relief of the MRH physiographic region. Higher

moronic complexes are noticed to the north and highly dissected

plains are prevalent to the southeast.

Conclusions

This paper analyzed the geomorphic features and soils of the MRH physiographic region in

central Lower Michigan. The differences in the neighboring regions’ climate, soils, landforms, and land-

uses were evaluated to show how the study area was differentiated. The MRH region’s abundance of

gently rolling hills, kettle lakes, small streams, and scattered organic soils give the area its unique

geomorphology. Field examinations identified glacial till and outwash parent materials throughout the

region with young pedogenic processes (due to the relatively recent deglacation) taking place.

Sandy textured soils are dominant throughout the MRH region. Loamy, clayey, and muck textures were

identified in association with specific geographic areas or landforms. The MRH region’s low population

allows for an agricultural landscape dissected with hard pine forests and poorly drained lowlands. These

soils and conditions provide agricultural lands which produce an ample amount of Michigan’s potato

crop. The MRH region’s landscape is mainly associated with the Saginaw Lobe’s retreat over the study

area. The Saginaw Lobe produced the rolling hummocky terrain that occurs throughout the region.

Glacial outwash and till was laid down during the retreat of the ice front therefore and are the foundations

for recent and future pedogenesis. Descriptions and suggestions made in this paper are made from field

and map interpretations to help better understand and present the MRH regions geomorphology.

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