2015 Map of Leola SW

About this map

The communal agricultural landscape of Deerfield Colony defines the eastern portion of this South Dakota survey, situated along the border of McPherson and Edmunds Counties. The map illustrates a strictly organized section-line grid system, typical of the Great Plains, where gravel and soil roads like 363rd Ave and 124th St segment the rolling prairie into precise square-mile townships. This 2015 edition documents the intricate drainage patterns of the northern plains, where numerous small, unnamed basins and seasonal wetlands punctuate the topography between Cr-18 and the southern reaches of t124n r67w. The spatial arrangement of the Deerfield Colony buildings against this repetitive section grid provides a clear look at how human settlement and large-scale farming have adapted to the water-scarce environment of the north-central part of the state.