1983 Map of Opal East SW

About this map

Sulphur Creek and its winding tributaries define this stretch of the South Dakota plains in the early 1980s. The landscape is dominated by the intricate drainage systems of Pine Creek and Elm Creek, which carve through the terrain of Meade County. Evidence of ranching and land use is sparse but significant, most notably at the Vig Limousin Ranch Airstrip in the northern portion of the quadrangle. This provisional survey captures a moment when the rural infrastructure was primarily focused on water management and aerial access for remote ranch operations. A lone Windmill stands as a marker of the essential search for water in this arid environment, while the complex naming of the Middle West Branch Beaver Dam Creek highlights the detailed hydrologic classification used by surveyors during this period.