2017 Map of Half Moon

About this map

Big Lake and its intricate network of drainage ditches dominate this section of the Arkansas-Missouri borderlands. This landscape is defined by the highly engineered water management system of the Little River basin, featuring a dense grid of numbered channels such as Ditch Number 58 and Ditch Number 26 that transformed the wetlands of Mississippi Co into productive territory. Small community hubs like Half Moon and Stark City anchor the rural road network, while the local history of the region is preserved at sites like the Wilkerson Cem and Simmons Bridge. The map details the transition from the open waters and marshy islands of Mallard Lake and Gun Island to the organized agricultural plots that surround Midway and Woodland Corner. This survey provides an essential view of the man-made hydrology and localized settlements that have come to define this corner of the Mississippi Delta.