2011 Map of Figure 4 Ranch

About this map

Figure 4 Ranch and L Hanna Ranch anchor this landscape in western North Dakota, illustrating the enduring cattle ranching heritage of the region. The map reveals a sparse network of Bureau of Indian Affairs and local roads, including BIA Road 30 and County Rte-57, which navigate a terrain carved by substantial drainage systems. Two primary watercourses, Bear Den Creek and Deep Creek, provide the critical water sources necessary for maintaining livestock in this arid environment. The spatial arrangement of these ranch steadings relative to the coulees and creek beds highlights how human settlement patterns have adapted to the natural topography of the Badlands. This 2011 survey, published by the U.S. Geological Survey, documents the rural infrastructure and land use in a corner of the state where traditional ranching operations remain the primary economic driver.