High Plains (United States)
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- This article is about a geographic region in the United States. For the High Plains of Victoria and New South Wales, Australia, see High Plains (Australia).
The High Plains are a subregion of the Great Plains in the central United States, located in eastern Colorado, western Kansas, western Nebraska, central and eastern Montana, eastern New Mexico, western Oklahoma, northwestern Texas, and southeastern Wyoming. In some definitions of the subregion, parts of western South Dakota and North Dakota are included. From east to west, the High Plains rise in elevation from around 750 m (2500 ft) to over 1800 m (6000 ft).
The High Plains are semiarid, receiving between 250–500 mm (10–20 in) of precipitation annually. Shortgrass prairie and scrub vegetation cover the region, with occasional buttes or other rocky outcrops scattered throughout the region. Agriculture (in the forms of cattle ranching and the growing of wheat, cotton and sunflowers) is the primary economic activity in the region; some areas have significant petroleum and natural gas deposits.
The High Plains has one of the lowest population densities of any region in the continental United States; Wyoming, for example, has the second lowest population density in the country before Alaska. In contrast to the rather low and stagnant population in northern and western High Plains, cities in west Texas have shown sustained growth. Amarillo and Lubbock, Texas both exceed populations of 200,000. Smaller towns often struggle to sustain their population.
The eastern High Plains region includes areas of high agricultural productivity due to the Ogallala Aquifer. Because of irrigation from one of the largest sources of underground water in the world, the eastern High Plains are productive in a variety of gains and other crops. The flat landscape also easily accommodates modern agricultural machinery. Although the western High Plains is largely a cattle ranching area, the eastern High Plains is a major producer of wheat, corn and milo. Other crops include sugar beets, cotton and sunflower seeds. Along the western edge of the High Plains (such as near Greeley, Colorado), canal irrigation from the Rocky Mountains helps sustains agricultural.
Due to low moisture and high elevation, the High Plains commonly experiences wide ranges and extremes in temperature. The temperature range from day to night commonly exceeds 15 degrees Celsius (30 degrees Fahrenheit), and 24-hour temperature shifts of 20 to 25 degrees Celsius (40-50 degrees Fahrenheit) are not unknown. The region is known for the steady, and sometimes intense, winds that prevail from the west. The winds add a considerable wind chill factor in the winter. However, summer nights are surprisingly cool and pleasant. The development of wind farms in the High Plains is one of the newest areas of economic development.
The combination of oil, natural gas, and wind energy along with plentiful underground water, has allowed some areas (such as west Texas) to sustain a range of economic activity, including occasional industry. For example, the Asarco refinery in Amarillo, TX has been in operation since 1924 due to the plentiful and inexpensive natural gas and water that are needed in metal ore refining.
[edit] External links
- High Plains Regional Climate Center The high plains is two-thirds farming area
- High Plains information - U.S. Department of the Interior (with map)
[edit] See also
- Llano Estacado
- Steppe
- Butte
- Ogallala Aquifer, a large aquifer underlying a significant part of this region, which has made it possible to grow many water-intensive crops (most notably cotton) that the region's aridity would otherwise not support
[edit] References
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