1977 Map of Lake Andes NW

About this map

Geddes sits at the northern edge of this agricultural landscape, where the prairie grid meets the dramatic bluffs of the Missouri River valley. The 1977 orthophotograph, produced in cooperation with the Bureau of Indian Affairs, reveals the intricate textures of the South Dakota plains, from the geometric precision of circular irrigation and square fields to the deeply eroded coulees that drain toward the water. Along the western margin, the expansive Lake Francis Case reservoir dominates the river corridor, its shoreline cutting a jagged boundary against the high ground. This aerial perspective, captured just before the 1980s, provides researchers with a clear record of land use and drainage patterns in Charles Mix County, illustrating the scale of large-plot farming and the natural ruggedness of the Missouri breaks.