1970 Map of Rocky Coulee

About this map

Black Coulee and its intricate drainage system define this high-plains landscape in Hill County, where the East Fork Black Coulee carves through the northern reaches of the quadrangle. Published as part of a Missouri River Basin development program by the U.S. Geological Survey, the map illustrates a sparsely populated ranching environment centered on essential water sources like Cockerel Spring. The terrain is characterized by the deep, winding incisions of Rocky Coulee, which trends southward toward larger prairie systems. The scarcity of named settlements or infrastructure suggests a region primarily dedicated to large-scale livestock grazing and dryland agriculture, where life revolved around the few dependable springs and the seasonal flow of the coulees.