High Plains

The elevated western portion of the Great Plains, extending from the Dakotas south through Texas and New Mexico. Its dry climate, broad grasslands, and deep sedimentary soils distinguish it from the more humid eastern plains.

Great Plains: A vast North American region of mostly level or rolling land east of the Rocky Mountains. The High Plains form the elevated western part of this larger region.
Continental climate: A climate with large seasonal temperature contrasts and limited moderation from oceans. The High Plains’ inland position brings cold winters, hot summers, and variable precipitation.
Center-pivot irrigation: A mechanized irrigation system that rotates sprinkler equipment around a central water supply. Its circular fields are a visible sign of groundwater-fed farming on the plains.
Homestead Act: A United States law that offered public land to settlers who lived on and improved it. Its land claims helped drive settlement and cultivation across the Great Plains.
Llano Estacado: A large, flat plateau covering parts of northwestern Texas and eastern New Mexico. This plateau is a distinctive southern subdivision of the High Plains.
Orographic precipitation: Precipitation produced when air rises, cools, and condenses as it crosses elevated terrain. Mountain uplift and moisture loss help explain the dry conditions east of the Rockies.
Dryland farming: Crop production that relies on soil moisture and precipitation rather than routine irrigation. It offers an alternative where High Plains groundwater is limited or costly to pump.
Great Plains shelterbelt: A program of planted tree belts intended to reduce wind erosion across the Great Plains. It was a federal response to severe soil loss during the Dust Bowl.
Ogallala Formation: A sedimentary geological formation of sand, gravel, silt, and clay beneath much of the central High Plains. Its deposits underlie the region and store much of its groundwater.
Evapotranspiration: The combined transfer of water to the atmosphere through evaporation and plant transpiration. High atmospheric demand can exceed rainfall and intensify water stress on the plains.

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KansasRelated: Western Kansas includes High Plains landscapes above older Cretaceous marine strata.