2013 Map of Alpha

About this map

The small settlement of Alpha anchors the southwestern corner of this survey, situated just north of the E Fork Des Moines River on the border between Jackson Co and Martin Co. The landscape is defined by the heavy modification of the prairie drainage system, evidenced by a network of engineered waterways such as Judicial Ditch Number Fifteen and County Ditch Number One. These canals crisscross the agricultural grid, redirecting water away from natural depressions and toward the river or the larger basins of Watkins Lake and Big Twin Lake. A rigid grid of rural roads, including 180th St and 50th Ave, partitions the land into precise sections, reflecting the enduring township-and-range layout of southern Minnesota. Small pockets of natural hydrology remain visible along the meandering course of Elm Cr as it flows toward the northeastern edge of the quadrangle.