Editing Washington County, Arkansas (section)

==Geography==
{{See also|Boston Mountains}}
[[File:Prairie Grove Battlefield State Park 006.jpg|right|thumb|The Lower Boston Mountains (background) rise from the flat, grassy Springfield Plateau at [[Prairie Grove Battlefield State Park]] in [[Prairie Grove, Arkansas|Prairie Grove]]]]
The county is located in the [[Ozark Mountains]], a small mountain region between the [[Appalachians]] and the [[Rocky Mountains]] with distinct settlement patterns, history, and culture from surrounding agrarian regions (the [[Interior Plains]] of the [[Midwest United States]] and [[Mississippi Delta]] to the southeast), and the flat ranchlands of the [[Great Plains]] to the west. In the Ozarks, population density is low; recreation, logging, and poultry and livestock farming are the primary land uses. Pastureland or hayland occur on nearly level ridgetops, benches, and valley floors. Water quality in streams is generally exceptional. Most of the county is within the mountainous, forested [[Boston Mountains]], with the north and west portions made up of the nearly level to rolling [[Ozarks|Springfield Plateau]]. [[Karst]] features such as [[Spring (hydrology)|spring]]s, [[losing stream]]s, [[sinkhole]]s and [[cave]]s are common.<ref name=ark4>{{USGS|title=Ecoregions of Arkansas|comment=color poster with map, descriptive text, summary tables, and photographs |author= Woods, A.J., Foti, T.L., Chapman, S.S., Omernik, J.M. |display-authors=et al | url=https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Level_IV_ecoregions,_Arkansas.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210802105344/https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Level_IV_ecoregions,_Arkansas.pdf |archive-date=August 2, 2021 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Washington County has a total area of {{convert|951.72|sqmi}}, of which {{convert|945.43|sqmi}} is land and {{convert|6.29|sqmi}} (0.6%) is water.<ref name="GR1">{{cite web|url=http://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/counties_list_05.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=August 27, 2015|date=August 22, 2012|title=2010 Census Gazetteer Files}}</ref> It is the fourth-largest county by area in Arkansas.<ref name="area" />

The county is located approximately {{convert|112|mi|km}} east of [[Tulsa, Oklahoma|Tulsa]], [[Oklahoma]], {{convert|192|mi|km}} northwest of [[Little Rock, Arkansas|Little Rock]], {{convert|233|mi|km}} south of [[Kansas City]], and {{convert|335|mi|km}} northeast of the [[Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex]].{{#tag:ref|Mileages from Washington County are based on highway miles using county seat Fayetteville for Washington County.<ref>{{cite web
  |title=Google Maps (Search for Fayetteville, AR)
  |url=https://www.google.com/maps/place/Fayetteville,+AR/@36.0693435,-94.3026747,11z
  |access-date= October 14, 2019 }}</ref>
|group=Note}} Washington County is surrounded by [[Benton County, Arkansas|Benton County]] to the north, rural [[Madison County, Arkansas|Madison County]] to the east, the rural [[Crawford County, Arkansas|Crawford County]] to the south, and [[Adair County, Oklahoma]] to the west.

===Geology===
Washington County sits on a [[basement]] of [[Precambrian]] [[granite]] and [[rhyolite]], as most of the continental interior of the [[United States]] does.<ref>{{cite book |title=Washington County History |last=Mathis |year=1989 |publisher=Shiloh Museum |location=Springdale, AR |page=9 }}</ref> Much of the county's geologic history must be inferred from nearby [[Oklahoma]] and [[Missouri]] research, due to the steepness of the more recently formed mountains that did not form in the neighboring states. This [[igneous]] material was eroded until the [[Paleozoic]], when oceans covered the now-low-lying area.<ref name="hwc1" >{{cite book |title=Washington County History |last=Mathis |year=1989 |publisher=Shiloh Museum |location=Springdale, AR |page=11 }}</ref> These oceans came and retreated for 300 million years, depositing various different sediments during that time. This created [[fossiliferous]] [[limestone]] and [[Ripple marks|ripple marked]]-[[sandstone]], both present throughout the north part of the county as evidence of ancient oceans.<ref name="hwc1" />

Sediments were deposited from the [[Devonian]], [[Mississippian age|Mississippian]], and [[Pennsylvanian (geology)|Pennsylvanian]] periods. During this deposition period, the county had a climate similar to that of the present-day [[The Bahamas|Bahamas]], as the [[equator]] was north of Washington County.<ref>{{cite book |title=Washington County History |last=Mathis |year=1989 |publisher=Shiloh Museum |location=Springdale, AR |page=14 }}</ref> The Devonian brought mostly [[shale]]s, the Mississippian brought the [[limestone]]s and [[chert]] visible in the bluffs. This chert is present throughout most of the county. The county is also home to the Boone Formation (red soils), white limestones, the [[Wedington, Arkansas|Wedington]] Sandstone, the [[Batesville, Arkansas|Bastesville]] Sandstone, the [[Pitkin Corner, Arkansas|Pitkin]] formation (ocean-fossil limestone), and the [[Fayetteville Shale]].

Settlers were attracted to the area by its numerous streams, used to power [[gristmill]]s, [[sandstone]]s and [[clay]]s for use in construction, [[Agricultural lime|lime]]-sweetened soil, and chert for road construction.<ref>{{cite book |title=Washington County History |last=Mathis |year=1989 |publisher=Shiloh Museum |location=Springdale, AR |page=2 }}</ref>

Today, Washington County consists of two main formations, the [[Boston Mountains]] and the Springfield Plateau. During the late [[Pennsylvanian (geology)|Pennsylvanian]], [[sediment]]s were deposited on top of the Springfield Plateau. The area was uplifted during the [[Ouachita orogeny]] and subsequent erosion formed the rugged Boston Mountains. Erosion of these sediments causes the Boston Mountains to be carved steeply in the south, while in the north of the county, the Boston Mountain sediments are almost entirely eroded, exposing the older rocks of the Springfield Plateau.

===Hydrology===
[[File:Elkins White River Bridge 002.jpg|right|thumb|[[White River Bridge at Elkins]]]]
{{See also|List of lakes in Washington County, Arkansas}}
Washington County fits within three regional watersheds: the eastern half drains to the [[White River (Arkansas)|White River]] (or Beaver Lake) and the west drains to the [[Illinois River (Arkansas)|Illinois River]], with a small segment in the south draining to the [[Arkansas River]] via the [[Lee Creek (Arkansas)|Lee Creek]] watershed. Within the county, Clear Creek, Moore's Creek, Richland Creek, and Spring Creek are important watercourses.<ref>{{Cite map |year= 2004 |publisher = DeLorme |title = Arkansas Atlas and Gazetteer |edition = Second |section = 22, 30 |location= [[Yarmouth, Maine]] |isbn= 978-0-89933-345-8 |oclc= 780322182 }}</ref> The county also contains eleven natural springs listed by the [[United States Geological Survey]] [[Board on Geographic Names]], including Elkhorn Springs,<ref>{{cite gnis |id=71549 |name=Elkhorn Springs|entrydate = April 30, 1980 |access-date= October 16, 2019 |links= off}}</ref> Elm Springs,<ref>{{cite gnis |id=48877 |name=Elm Springs|entrydate = April 30, 1980 |access-date= October 16, 2019 |links= off}}</ref> and Greathouse Spring in [[Johnson, Arkansas|Johnson]].<ref>{{cite gnis |id=49623 |name=Greathouse Spring|entrydate =April 30, 1980 |access-date= October 16, 2019 |links= off}}</ref>

As a mountainous county, it contains only one natural lake and several [[reservoir]]s. Most of these reservoirs, such as Lake Prairie Grove and Lincoln Lake were created for flood control or water supplies in the 20th century. [[Beaver Lake (Arkansas)|Beaver Lake]], located mostly in Benton County with reaches extending into Washington and Madison counties, is the sixth-largest lake in Arkansas, and a source of recreation, tourism, and drinking water for the Northwest Arkansas region. Washington County also contains [[Lake Wedington]], located in the Ozark National Forest west of [[Fayetteville, Arkansas|Fayetteville]] on [[Arkansas Highway 16|Highway&nbsp;16]].

===Protected areas===
[[File:Devil's Den SP waterfall.jpg|thumb|upright|Waterfall at Devil's Den SP]]
Washington County contains three discontinuous segments of the [[Ozark National Forest]], two state parks, two [[List of Arkansas Wildlife Management Areas|Wildlife Management Areas]] (WMAs) under [[Arkansas Game and Fish Commission]] jurisdiction, the Garrett Hollow Natural Area, and dozens of city parks.

The [[Lake Wedington|Wedington WMA]] is a [[hardwood forest]] owned by the [[United States Forest Service]] known for [[archery]], deer hunting, fishing, and boating on Lake Wedington.<ref>{{ cite web |title= Wildlife Management Area Details |work=Wedington WMA |url= https://agfc.com/en/zone-map/779/ |publisher= Arkansas Game and Fish Commission |location= Little Rock |access-date= October 24, 2019 }}</ref> The southeast corner of Washington County contains part of the [[White Rock Wildlife Management Area|White Rock WMA]], an expansive section of the Ozark National Forest containing some of the steepest segments of the Boston Mountains covered in a mix of shortleaf pine and hardwood forest. White Rock WMA has six camping areas, four lakes, and numerous trails. Public hunting for squirrels, deer, wild turkeys, and black bear is available during certain seasons

[[Devil's Den State Park]] in southern Washington County is known for its picturesque views and mountain vistas.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.exploresouthernhistory.com/ardevils1.html | title = Devil's Den State Park - West Fork, Arkansas | access-date = January 28, 2010 | publisher = Dale Cox}}</ref> [[Prairie Grove Battlefield State Park]] was the site of the [[Battle of Prairie Grove]], fought December 7, 1862, in the [[American Civil War]]. The park offers tours of the battlefield and period structures and contains the Hindman Museum, which preserves artifacts and interprets the history of the battle. Arkansas's largest Civil War battle reenactment takes place on t he battlefield in December of even numbered years.