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Lower Plains: Kansas, Nebraska

This easternmost region is also called the Dissected Till Plains. “Till” refers to the rich sediment left behind by the Ice Age glaciers that once cov- ered this part of Nebraska. When the glaciers melted, erosion from the run- off water dissected, or cut, the land into rolling hills and crisscrossing streams. Much of eastern Nebraska is farm country, but the state’s biggest cities, Omaha and Lincoln, are also located here. The Great Plains region is sub- divided into a number of smaller sections with their own distinctive features.

Republican River, flowing through the south. In total, Nebraska has over 23,000 miles (37,000 km) of rivers, streams, and canals. Most of its rivers drain into the Missouri River. Nebraska can be divided into two main land regions: the Great Plains and the Central Lowlands. Most of Western Nebraska lies in the Great Plains, the vast region of plains stretching between the Mississippi River and the Rocky Mountains. The Central Lowlands make up the east- ern fifth of the state. Sandhill cranes wade in the shallow Platte River. The Platte and its tributaries (North and South Platte) flow for more than 1,000 miles (1,600 km).

Hilly fields planted with corn near Schuyler. Eastern Nebraska is known for its fertile soil.