The escarpment on the north side of Wild Cat Ridge drops abruptly into the Platte River Valley, a small section of which occurs in the extreme Jiortheastern part of the county. The topography of this section is flat to rolling, the surface sloping gently toward the north. The more level part occurs on the west side, while that along the east county line has been considerably modified by colluvial fan and wind-blown materials in an advanced stage of erosion. The lowest elevation in the county is at the point where Plimpkin Creek crosses the eastern boundary, approximately 3,940 feet above sea level. The highest elevation recorded by the United States Geological SurA^ey is 5,240 feet in sec. 23, T. 18 N., R. 58 W. The most abrupt relief occurs between Hogback Mountain, a prominent land form, and Pumpkin Creek. The summit of the former is 5,082 feet above sea level and the latter, 2 miles south, is 4,300 feet above sea level. An elevation of 4,500 feet is attained on the Harrisburg-Scottsbluff highway near where it crosses the north county line. The elevations of other prominent landmarks are : Wildcat Mountain, 5,038 feet; Funnel Rock, 4,502 feet; Castle Rock, 4,472 feet; Gabe Rock, 5,006 feet; Bighorn Mountain, 4,713 feet; Sheep Mountain, 4,507 feet; and Smokestack Rock, 4,326 feet. The general slope of the county is to-the southeast. Pumpkin Creek, the largest stream in the county, drains the northern two-thirds of the area, with the exception of a few square miles in the northeastern part, from which the runoff is north into the North Platte River. The table-land in the southern part of the county is drained by Lawrence Fork and its tributaries. Pumpkin Creek has a fall of about 460 feet in its course of about 27 miles in this county, averaging 17 feet to the mile. It flows in a shallow channel from 2 to 4 feet deep and has an average width of about 20 8 FIELD OPERATIONS OF THE BUREAU OF SOILS, 1919. feet. Near its head the stream is swift and cutting its channel, but it becomes more sluggish toward the eastern county boundary. In its course through the county the creek receives no water from constant natural tributaries; it is fed entirely by intermittent drainageways, springs, and underground seepage. The principal drainageways emptying into Pumpkin Creek are Bull Canyon, Willow Creek, Indian Springs Canyon, Bighorn Gulch, Hackberry Creek, and Chalk Creek. These drainageways are all on the south side of the stream. Many of them have springs near their heads, in the rough, broken escarpment bordering the table-land, but the water becomes lost in the loose, porous sands of the valley slope before reaching the main stream. Lawrence Fork is a dry drainageway in the southeastern part of the county. Its principal tributary is Rocky Hollow. Except for a short distance along Pumpkin Creek, in the eastern part of the county, all the drainageways have a very steep gradient and are swift flowing. By far the greater part of the county is well drained. Streamways reach all sections except the sandier parts in the Pumpkin C...
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