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2011 Map of Cartwright

Name: 2011 Topographic Map of Cartwright
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 2011
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 2011

About this map

The Yellowstone River cuts a wide path through this McKenzie County landscape, crossed by the Hjalmer Nelson Memorial Bridge as it flows north toward its confluence. Near the settlement of Cartwright, the terrain is defined by a network of drainage coulees, including Sheep Coulee, Sweening Coulee, and Vanderhoof Coulee. The map reveals a rural economy centered on widely spaced family ranching operations, such as the F Lassey Ranch, W Lassey Ranch, and Reidal Ranch.

Water management is vital in this arid environment, evidenced by the presence of the Mule Creek Windmill and several lateral irrigation canals like Lateral M and Lateral K. These features, along with named watercourses like Charbonneau Creek and Horse Creek, illustrate the complex relationship between the natural water supply and the agricultural requirements of the high plains in the early 21st century.