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2024 Map of Half Moon

Name: 2024 Topographic Map of Half Moon
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 2024
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 2024

About this map

The Big Lake National Wildlife Refuge and the Big Lake Wilderness dominate the western half of this landscape, preserving a vast wetland ecosystem on the Arkansas-Missouri border. This environment is characterized by intricate waterways like the Right Hand Chute Little River and islands such as Gun Island and Hog Island. To the east, the terrain transitions into a highly managed agricultural grid, where a complex network of drainage canals—including Ditch Number 58, Ditch Number 63, and Ditch Number 26—reclaims the low-lying Delta land for farming.

Small rural clusters like Half Moon and Stark City serve as local anchors along the roadway network. Local history is preserved at the Wilkerson Cem and the distinctive Little Green Store, while the proximity of the Mallard Lake and Big Lake areas highlights the area's legacy as a significant waterfowl habitat. The map illustrates the sharp contrast between the wild, flooded bottomlands and the engineered precision of the surrounding Mississippi County cropland.