1981 Map of Shell Creek Bay

About this map

Lake Sakakawea and its sprawling Van Hook Arm dominate this North Dakota landscape, revealing the complex geography created by the impoundment of the Missouri River. The map documents the northern reaches of the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation Boundary as it interacts with the altered shoreline of Shell Creek Bay. While much of the low-lying terrain is submerged or protected within the Van Hook State Wildlife Management Area, remnants of the area's earlier history remain visible. The placement of the Van Hook Cem and the label for Van Hook 1937 serve as important markers for researchers tracing the displacement and relocation of communities following the construction of the Garrison Dam. Inland, the rural character is defined by the Parshall and Fertile townships, where a lonely Townhall and scattered Gravel Pits dot the rolling plains above the water's edge.