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1985 Map of Albert Lea

Name: 1985 Topographic Map of Albert Lea
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1985
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1985

About this map

Albert Lea serves as the focal point for this Southern Minnesota landscape during the mid-1980s, situated at the intersection of a complex hydrographic and transportation network. The map reveals an extensive system of agricultural drainage, documented through numerous labels like Judicial Ditch No 7 and County Ditch No 20, which transformed the prairie wetlands into productive farmland. The drainage patterns surround natural water bodies such as Geneva Lake and Freeborn Lake, highlighting the managed nature of the regional water table.

Industrial and transit history is preserved through the corridors of the Chicago Milwaukee St Paul and Pacific and Chicago and North Western railroads, which connect smaller agricultural hubs like Wells, Mapleton, and Blooming Prairie. Conservation areas are interspersed throughout the developed land, including Helmer Myre State Park and a variety of wildlife management areas like Halls Lake State Wildlife Management Area.