Northeast Ohio Glacial Boon

There's an ancient, valley that's buried with glacial debris that cuts across Geuaga County. In some places the glacial drift is 400 feet deep.

Without the glacial drift, the valleys would be much deeper, of course. Through that area today, there are wetlands, rivers, and lakes. It's a pretty nice place to go for a drive or ride a bike. The rivers, though, don't actually follow that hidden valley, for the most part.

Anyway, without the glacial drift, Geauga County would have similar terrain to counties in Southeast Ohio. It's interesting to compare an elevation profile from corner to corner across a county in Southeast Ohio, like Jefferson County, versus Geauga.

Jefferson County:

Geauga:

While there is significant variation in Geauga county, it's not nearly as jagged as Jefferson County, Ohio, basically because all the low spots were filled in by debris from melting glaciers.

There are at least two direct outcomes from that glacial debris:

1. it's easier to get from point A to B (less energy required) in Geauga County than Jefferson County;
2. There are more good water wells in Geauga County.

Another outcome is there are probably more areas that are potentially useful as farmland, or areas that are easier to build large structures on in a place like Geauga County than in Jefferson County.