The Mississippi River cuts this subsection virtually in half. It flows northwest to southeast close to the midpoint north-south. There are some small, relatively short rivers that are present. They include the Prairie, Willow, Hill, and Moose Rivers. The drainage network is poorly developed due to landform characteristics.
Lakes are numerous.
South of Grand Rapids, there was an area of the moraine dominated by northern hardwoods. Aspen-birch forests also grew on the moraines, but were more common on the outwash, which had excessively well drained sandy soils. Mixed hardwood-pine forest was locally found on the moraines, generally near large lakes. The most important land uses in this subsection are forestry and recreation. This area is heavily forested and timber harvesting is extensive.