2024 Map of Blacktail Coulee

About this map

Blacktail Coulee defines the drainage pattern of this central North Dakota landscape, where the land falls away into deep coulees and prairie wetlands. The terrain is marked by a network of drainage features including Spring Creek and the Bowers Coulee, eventually feeding toward the Wintering River in the southeast. Conservation efforts are evident in the western portion of the map, specifically within the Ward County Waterfowl Production Area, which spans the boundary between Ward and McHenry counties. The rectilinear road grid, composed of local routes like Co Hwy 24 and 36th St N, highlights the persistent agricultural organization of the Great Plains. This topography shows the relationship between the elevated prairie plateau and the glacial meltwater channels that carved the coulee systems, shaping the land use and accessibility of the region.