The last sections of the Lower Missouri River separate the Central Lowlands in Missouri from the Ozark Plateau and Ouachita Mountains. The ground water of the Central Lowlands is characterized by the confined Jordan aquifer, which underlies most of Iowa and is the most extensively used aquifer in Iowa. Numerous other confined aquifers also occur in the Central Lowlands. Water from the aquifers of the Central Lowlands is extracted for a wide range of uses such as irrigation, livestock watering, and municipal water supplies. Climate Summers are usually hot, and winters are cold, especially in the northern part of the province.
Winters are short and relatively mild in southerly areas.
Vegetation Vegetation is primarily forest-steppe, characterized by intermingled prairie, groves, and strips of deciduous trees. Grasses are the dominant prairie vegetation. Most are moderately tall and usually grow in bunches. The most prevalent type of grassland is bluestem prairie, dominated by plants such as big bluestem, little bluestem, switchgrass, and Indian grass, along with many species of wildflowers and legumes. Due to generally favorable conditions of climate and soil, most of the area is cultivated, and little of the original vegetation remains.