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1986 Map of Alkali Lake

Name: 1986 Topographic Map of Alkali Lake
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1986
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1986

About this map

The interdunal basins of the Nebraska Sandhills are on full display in this mid-1980s topographic study, where the boundary between Garden and Grant Counties cuts through a landscape defined by seasonal and permanent water bodies. These "valleys" are not traditional river valleys but rather low-lying pockets between dunes, such as Diamond Valley and Kramer Valley, where groundwater often reaches the surface. Named features like Alkali Lake and Potter Lake highlight the characteristic hydrology of the region, where water alkalinity varies significantly between neighboring basins.

The human imprint on this specialized landscape is visible through family-named landmarks such as the R Kincaid Lakebed and Groves Lake. These labels, along with features like Dipping Vat Lake, point toward the ranching heritage of the area, where specific basins were utilized for livestock management. This map provides a detailed view of the intricate network of unimproved roads and trails that connected these isolated water sources and ranching outposts before the modern era.