Fun Fact #278 In Karst Contrast

 Fun Fact #278

In Karst Contrast

Deep beneath the ground of the driftless lies thousands of underground streams which have carved into the rock and are fed by countless blind valleys. This is the second largest Karst formation on earth with 20% (1/5th) of the US as a whole being classified as Karst land. Thanks to the Karst’s ability to move water underground it was able to drain the layer of water that the glaciers would drift upon, stopping it at the border of Driftless Territory. This ability also allows for blind valleys to form in which a disappearing stream ends, either in a sinkhole or cave at the end of a canyon. Here the steep walls of the canyons allow for a sheltered area for fauna, and the cold waters result in a drastic increase of Trout. All of which means the Driftless is a practical heaven for nature watchers.