2021 Map of Chicken Creek

About this map

The boundary between Butte and Lawrence counties runs through this landscape, dominated by the northern extent of Spearfish and the adjacent community of North Spearfish. The terrain is defined by a complex network of water management and natural drainage, including the Redwater River and Spearfish Cr. The agricultural history of the region is evident in named irrigation features like Cook Ditch, Carlson Ditch, and Herber Ditch, which redirect water across the plains south of the river. To the west, the landscape transitions into more varied topography, including the steep depths of Big Canyon and the riparian areas surrounding Chicken Cr and Lake Cr. Smaller bodies of water such as Cox Lake and Mud Lake dot the western reaches, while the southern portion of the sheet rises toward the higher elevations of Higgins Gulch, illustrating the transition from the Black Hills toward the northern prairies.