1985 Map of Great Bend

About this map

The Arkansas River corridor in central Kansas defines this mid-1980s landscape, serving as a lifeline for major agricultural and industrial hubs like Great Bend and Lyons. The map highlights a complex relationship between the region's natural hydrology and its intensive land use, most notably through the sprawling Cheyenne Bottoms State Wildlife Area and the Quivira National Wildlife Refuge, which contains the Little Salt Marsh and Big Salt Marsh. These wetlands provide critical contrast to the surrounding grid of section lines and the numerous Oil Fields that dot the plains.