MLRA 94A Northern Michigan and Wisconsin Sandy Drift

Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin

39,920 km² (15,410 mi²)

Land Use

About a third of this MLRA consists of national and state forests; another third is in small privately owned holdings. There are a few large holdings. The forests are used mainly for lumbering and recreation. Forage and feed grains for dairy cattle and other livestock are the principal crops. In places potatoes are an important cash crop, and other vegetables and fruit are also grown. Cranberries are grown on lowland soils in Wisconsin.

Elevation and Topography

Elevation ranges from 700 feet (200 meters) along the lakeshores to more than 1600 feet (500 meters) in the central part. Belts of morainic hills make up part of this broad glacial-drift plain. Much of the area is nearly level to gently rolling, and local relief is only a few meters, but in the morainic areas local relief ranges from several feet to more than 300 feet (100 meters).

Climate

Average annual precipitation-27 to 33 inches (750 mm). Precipitation is fairly evenly distributed in late spring through early autumn. Minimum precipitation is in winter; winter precipitation is mainly snow. Average annual temperature-39 to 45° F (4 to 7° C). Average freeze-free period-120 to 140 days along the lakeshores, but in some low areas it is as short as 80 days.

Water

Because of the moderate precipitation, moisture must be carefully managed to insure that enough water is available for crops and pasture grown on the sandy soils. The wet soils on lowlands must be drained before they can be used for field crops and tame pasture commonly grown in the area. Ground water is abundant in the deep glacial drift that covers nearly all the area. Many large and small lakes are used extensively for recreation.

< Back to MLRA 94A