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2015 Map of Balsam Lake

Name: 2015 Topographic Map of Balsam Lake
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 2015
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 2015

About this map

Balsam Lake serves as the central focal point of this Polk County landscape, defined by a complex shoreline of bays and islands including Carlson Island, Big Island, and Paradise Island. The village of Balsam Lake sits at the southern edge of the water, where the Mill Pond and Balsam Branch waterway begin their course south. To the north, the lake narrows into specialized areas like The Stumps and Boston Bay, reflecting a glacial topography that creates a dense network of smaller basins such as Rice Lake, Half Moon Lake, and Wild Goose Lake.

Genealogists and local historians will find the settlements of Lykens and the village of Balsam Lake well-documented, alongside rural landmarks like Romeo Airstrip and several community burial grounds including Balsam Lake Cem, Union Cem, and Apple River Cem. The map illustrates a transition from the structured residential blocks of the village to the expansive rural grid of the surrounding townships, marked by family-named landmarks and the meandering path of the Apple River in the east.