2015 Map of Fairburn SW

About this map

Buffalo Gap National Grassland dominates the eastern landscape of this Custer County region, where the prairie transitions into a network of seasonal drainages. The hydrology of the area is defined by the winding courses of Lame Johnny Cr, Cottonwood Cr, and the S Fork French Cr, which carve through the terrain as they flow generally eastward. This 2015 survey illustrates a sparsely populated ranching landscape organized by a grid of rural routes including S Fairburn Rd, Cottonwood Cutoff, and Riverside Rd. The absence of dense town sites highlights the importance of these connecting corridors and water sources in the high plains. Researchers can trace the section lines and township boundaries like t5s r8e and t6s r7e that have defined land ownership and grazing rights in this part of South Dakota for generations.