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2021 Map of McCook SW

Name: 2021 Topographic Map of McCook SW
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 2021
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 2021

About this map

The Nebraska-Kansas border defines the southern edge of this landscape, where the agricultural plains of Red Willow County meet Rawlins and Decatur Counties to the south. Driftwood Canal cuts through the northwestern corner, a vital piece of water infrastructure in this semi-arid region. The terrain is deeply incised by drainage patterns, most notably at Plum Canyon and Cottonwood Canyon, which provide significant topographic relief compared to the surrounding tablelands.

Water management is a central theme of the local geography, evidenced by a series of impoundments along Dry Cr. These features, including Dry Cr South Reservoir 4-A and Dry Cr South Reservoir 1-D, illustrate the systematic effort to capture and control seasonal runoff. The map's grid of rural roads, such as RD 708 and Road 384, follows the section lines of the Public Land Survey System, anchoring the remote farmsteads and ranchlands of the High Plains.