Lake Border Moraine

The Lake Border Moraine (also called the Lake Border Morainic System) is a complex group of moraines bordering the southern end of Lake Michigan. It can be traced north along the eastern shore of the lake basin and across the highlands between the northern Lake Michigan and Saginaw Bay. It continues around the Saginaw Basin into the "thumb" of Michigan, and south through southeastern Michigan on the eastern side of the "thumb." Along Lake Michigan, north to Holland the system is close to the shore. From Holland north to Oceana County it is 15 mi to 25 mi east of the shore. In Oceana County it forms the prominent "clay banks" along the shoreline of Lake Michigan. It again bears inland from Hart, where more recent moraines reside between it and Lake Michigan. It runs north of the great interlobate moraine that exists between the Lake Michigan and Saginaw lobes of the Laurentian ice sheet. A little north of Cadillac turns to the east. A short distance from Cadillac, it splits with the southern ridge or outer member heading to the Saginaw basin. The northern ridge heads towards Lake Huron, but turns south before reaching the shore. In Newaygo and Lake counties it rest on an earlier interlobate moraine. It separates in Wexford and Missaukee counties to continue south along the west side of the Saginaw basin.

Topography
The outer members of the Lake Border morainic system reach their greatest height immediately north and west of Cadillac, where they attain an altitude of 1500 ft above sea level. The outermost ridge for 20 mi west from the line of Missaukee and Wexford counties stands above 1400 ft. The south the ridge declines from here, but much of it is above 1100 ft. South of Big Rapids there are a few high spots above 1300 ft. These continue south to Baldwin. The ridges south of Muskegon River are just under 800 ft. The steep declines become more gradual towards the south near South Haven where the lake ridges are less than 700 ft above sea level. The ridge runs west across Oceana County nearly to Lake Michigan. It has high points of 1000 ft above sea level and some areas above 800 ft. This is more than 200 ft above Lake Michigan The inner ridge is highest in the north near Gaylord. Here, it is nearly 1400 ft high. It lowers steadily to the southwest, but remains above the 1300 ft through Antrim and Kalkaska counties. It remains above 1200 ft through Kalkaska, and drops to 1100 ft as it passes through Grand Traverse County. To the south, it remains near 1000 ft through Grand Traverse County and on to Manistee County. South of Manistee River the ridges on the inner border fall below 800 ft with the general surface below 700 ft

Relief
Near Cadillac the ridges have a relief of 50 to 100 ft or more above the outwash plain in Wexford County. The inner border is 300 ft to 400 ft in Wexford County and about 300 ft in Lake and Newaygo counties. West from Newaygo County and across Oceana County, the relief is 150 to 300 ft or more above the plains. A slender moraines south from the Muskegon River is less than 100 ft, become barely 50 ft above the lake at its south end