2020 Map of Shell Creek Bay

About this map

Lake Sakakawea dominates this North Dakota landscape, where the waters of the Missouri River have transformed the terrain into a complex system of inlets and peninsulas. The map documents the extensive reach of the Van Hook Arm and the protected waters of Shell Creek Bay, illustrating how the mid-century damming of the river reshaped Mountrail County. On the higher ground overlooking the water, the Van Hook Cem remains as a significant landmark for local family history, situated near a grid of local roads like 38th St NW. The drainage patterns of Shell Cr and the E Fork Shell Cr feed into the bay from the north and east, tracing the original coulees and valleys that now sit at the edge of this massive reservoir system.