Water resources of south-central Missouri

This atlas describes hydrology in an area of approximately 23 ,000 sq mi and includes all or parts of 38 counties in Missouri. The area is bounded on the north by the southern edge of the Missouri River flood plain, on the east by the Mississippi River and the Plateaus-Lowlands boundary (Ozark Escarpment), on the south by the Missouri-Arkansas State line, and on the west by the western drainage divides of the Gasconade and White River basins. The alluvial valley of the Missouri River is excluded. Although the populations of several rural counties in the area have declined in recent years, significant population increases have occurred in the vicinity of the two principal population centers, St. Louis in the northeast and Springfield in the southwest. Future population increases are expected to occur as a result of continued urban expansion, increased recreational use of land and water resources, and additional development of the mining industry. (Woodard-USGS)