2015 Map of Cottonwood SE

About this map

Buffalo Gap National Grassland dominates this section of the western South Dakota plains, where the open landscape is defined by the drainage systems of the White River basin. The terrain rises significantly toward Washburn Ridge in the northwest, while several watercourses including Big Buffalo Cr and Little Buffalo Cr carve paths through the township. Public land management is central to this area, as reflected in the grid-based boundaries of t2s r19e and t3s r20e. Local transportation is sparse, consisting primarily of the north-south Cs 21 route and Interstate 90 crossing the northern third of the quadrangle. For those studying the environmental history of the Great Plains, the map illustrates the persistence of native grassland management in a region characterized by ephemeral streams like Fifteen Cr and Cut Cr.