By Elaine Giessel
Some of the oldest rocks in Kansas are found in the Cherokee Lowlands of the far southeastern part of the State. Roughly 300 million years ago, during the Pennsylvanian Period, inland seas advanced and retreated across what is now Kansas, depositing highly erodible layers of shales and sandstones. At times, freshwater coastal swamps produced abundant plant materials that developed into coal seams. Mined Land Wildlife Area
Buried coal was removed from this area for 50 years, starting in the early 1920’s, with little if any remediation. In the decades since mining ceased, over 1000 lakes of various depths have filled abandoned strip mines and ditches. Today, fertile farms and ranchlands are interspersed with mature oak, hickory, and walnut woodlands on slopes, along banks of larger streams, and in abandoned coal mining areas. Cherokee Lowlands
While most of the “mined lands” and lakes are privately owned, the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks manages thousands of acres of public land in southeast Kansas which provide camping, hiking, hunting, and fishing opportunities.