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2015 Map of Diamond Bluff West

Name: 2015 Topographic Map of Diamond Bluff West
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 2015
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 2015

About this map

Mississippi River floodplains and the intricate backwaters of the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area dominate this borderland landscape. The river serves as a massive natural boundary between Pierce County, Wisconsin, and Dakota and Goodhue Counties in Minnesota. On the Minnesota side, Prairie Island sits between the main channel and the Vermillion River, housing the Prairie Island Cem and a dense network of wetlands like Upper Rattling Springs Lake and Sharp Muskrat Lake.

Across the water in Wisconsin, the terrain rises sharply from the riverbanks toward Diamond Bluff. The map reveals a complex system of side channels and sloughs, including Indian Slough and Buffalo Slough, which have historically dictated the placement of small landings and settlements like Stroms and Eagle Point. This survey captures the specialized river-and-rail geography where the bluffs meet the bottomlands at the start of the 21st century.