Geology

The land surrounding Clinton Lake is characteristic of the Kansas Agricultural Region with gently rolling hills which have been extensively farmed or grazed and cleared of timber. These hills slope toward the Wakarusa River Valley, with the valley walls characterized as being steep, with shallow, highly erodible soils. Much of the south shoreline, the north shore of the Bloomington Area, and part of the south shore in Clinton State Park contain slopes of 15 percent or greater. Soils in the area have been derived mostly from local sedimentary rocks, including limestone, shale, mudstone and some sandstone. Smaller areas of soil have developed in loess, till, and glaciofluvial deposits. Soils are predominately medium to fine texture silty and clay loams, which have developed under grassland and woodland. Organic matter content of surface soil is moderate to high depending on texture and agricultural cropping history. Due to the shallow nature of soils present and their poor permeability, care must be taken with any project construction to insure proper drainage and foundation layout.