2009 Map of Coats

Waterways provide the only departure from the rectilinear geometry of the plains. The South Fork Ninnescah River meanders across the northern portion of the map, while Sand Creek and the branches of South Elm Creek—including the East Branch South Elm Creek and West Branch South Elm Creek—drain the surrounding fields. The transition between the grid-based settlement and these natural drainage patterns illustrates the 21st-century configuration of the Kansas prairie.