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2021 Map of Big Lake

Name: 2021 Topographic Map of Big Lake
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 2021
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 2021

About this map

The Missouri River defines the southwestern edge of this landscape, where the state boundary between Missouri and Nebraska follows the river's winding path through the Nemaha Bends and Squaw Bend. The terrain is marked by the complex hydrology of the Missouri bottomlands, featuring the Old Channel Tarkio River and Old Channel Little Tarkio Cr, which suggest the historic movement of these waterways across the flat alluvial plain. This area is a critical environment for migratory birds, evidenced by named wetlands like Mallard Marsh, Pintail Pool, and Snow Goose Pool.

Settlement is concentrated around the namesake Big Lake, which is ringed by local roads such as Lake Shore Dr and Alpine Beach Dr. Small rural communities including Fortescue, Bigelow, and Napier are connected by a grid of agricultural roads, such as State Hwy P and Farmers Dr, which serve the expansive fields of Holt County. The presence of Davis Cr Ditch highlights the ongoing efforts to manage water levels in this fertile, flood-prone river valley.