ugh most of the western part
of the county, the South Fork of the Grand River, which originates in
the east-central part of the county and flows generally eastward, and by
the North Fork of the Moreau River, which originates in the south and
drains in a southeasterly direction. Permanent standing surface water
was virtually unknown prior to the development of artificial
impoundments.

[Illustration: FIG. 2. Central part of Slim Buttes as viewed from the
east.]

Vegetation of the grassland areas in the county is typical of that found
throughout the semi-arid Northern Great Plains. Cover on upland soils,
especially those that are clayey in substance, generally is sparse;
areas along water courses and well-watered sites elsewhere tend to have
denser stands of grasses such as bluestem (_Andropogon_). Dominant
grasses of upland are gramma, buffalo grass, wheat grass, stipa, and
tickle grass. Sage (_Artemisia_) and numerous forbs are prominent in
many areas. These grasslands are used extensively for grazing of sheep
and cattle.

[Illustration: FIG. 3. Fuller Canyon, North Cave Hills.]

[Illustration: FIG. 4. Little Missouri River southwest of Ladner. Note
beaver dam in background and nature of riparian community.]

[Illustration: FIG. 5. Stand of pines on northern part of Slim Buttes.]

[Illustration: FIG. 6. Draw with deciduous trees in North Cave Hills.]

[Illustration: FIG. 7. Spring-fed artificial impoundment in Deer Draw,
Slim Buttes.]

[Illustration: FIG. 8. Farm land in northeastern part of Harding
County.]

The wooded buttes mentioned above are at least in part within the
boundaries of Custer National Forest and support western yellow pine
(_Pinus ponderosa_) and junipers (_Juniperus_ sp.). In some ravines and
other protected sites there are groves of deciduous trees such as
cottonwood, aspen, boxelder, ash, hackberry, elm, dogwood, and hawthorn,
usually associated with shrubs such as buckbrush, chokeberry, plum,
currant, and gooseberry. These groves frequently are associated with
small springs, as the one in Deer Draw of the Slim Buttes. The major
water courses and their tributaries are essentially treeless, although
occasional stands of cottonwoods and other deciduous trees and shrubs
occur in some places--for example along the Little Missouri near Camp
Crook. Some representative habitats in Harding County are illustrated in
Figs. 2-8.

Our interest in Harding County dates from August of 1960, when one