1986 Map of Norris Lake

About this map

The vast Nebraska Sandhills of Morrill County define this landscape, a region where shallow groundwater and depressions create a network of isolated basins and alkaline lakes. In the mid-1980s, these waterscapes, including Norris Lake and Kleman Lake, served as vital points of reference in an otherwise undulating terrain of sand dunes and meadows. The map reveals the intricate natural drainage and ponding characteristic of the area, with Mud Lakes and Box Lake scattered across the northern and western sections. Transportation is limited to a sparse network of improved and unimproved roads that navigate between these water bodies. This survey provides a clear view of the area's hydrology before modern climatic shifts, documenting the precise footprints of Peer Lake and Roach Lake as they existed during the field inspections of 1984.