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2022 Map of Messex

Name: 2022 Topographic Map of Messex
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 2022
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 2022

About this map

The S Platte River defines the corridor of this northeastern Colorado landscape, where a complex network of irrigation infrastructure supports the agricultural valley. The presence of the North Sterling Canal, Riverside Intake Canal, and numerous smaller channels like the Tetsel Ditch and Pawnee Ditch illustrates the intensive water management required for regional farming. Small railroad-aligned settlements including Messex, Balzac, and Union are situated along the river's western bank, while Beta sits to the northeast near the Merino Cem.

This territory is a study in early 21st-century rural boundaries, where the corners of Logan, Morgan, and Washington counties meet. The eastern portion of the map is dominated by the Prewitt Reservoir and its associated Prewitt Outlet Canal, critical components of the South Platte water system. The transition from the irrigated river bottom to the arid uplands is marked by drainage features like L F Draw, showing the topographical shift away from the fertile valley floor.