2017 Map of Blacktail Creek NW

About this map

The Powder River meanders across the western edge of this southeastern Montana landscape, defining the local geography as it flows through the semi-arid plains of the high prairie. This 2017 survey by the U.S. Geological Survey documents the topographical transition between Custer and Carter counties, a boundary that bisects the map. The drainage patterns are intricate, with seasonal waterways such as Alkali Cr, Blacktail Cr, and Little Blacktail Cr carving a network of coulees and draws through the township ranges of t2n r54e and t2n r55e. The terrain is characterized by dissected uplands where Nichols Cr and other small tributaries feed the larger river system, reflecting the traditional grazing and ranching character of this sparsely populated borderland.