2014 Map of Rat Lake

About this map

The White Earth River carves a deep valley through the northern High Plains of McKenzie County, winding south toward its confluence with the Missouri River. This 2014 survey documents the dramatic transition from the high, grid-patterned agricultural plateaus to the flooded landscape of the Missouri River valley. The massive expanse of Lake Sakakawea dominates the southern portion of the map, submerging the historic river channel and creating an intricate shoreline along the bluffs. Inland from the river, the landscape is punctuated by prairie potholes and depressions, including the small body of water known as Rat Lake. A network of rural section-line roads, such as 94th Ave NW and 51st St NW, provides access across the upland plains, illustrating the enduring township-and-range surveying system that defines the region's movement and land use.