2012 Map of Syracuse West SE

About this map

Little Bear Cr and N Bear Cr define the sparse drainage of this western Kansas landscape, where the prairie is organized by a strictly orthogonal grid of rural thoroughfares. This high-plains geography in Hamilton County is primarily shaped by agricultural section lines, represented here by a network of county routes including Co Road K, Co Road M, and Co Road N. The intermittent waterways of the Bear Creek system suggest a seasonal environment where water management and topography dictate the placement of ranch access and field boundaries. This 2012 survey by the U.S. Geological Survey captures the quiet, geometric regularity of the region's land use, showing the intersection of traditional section-line roads like Co Rd-34 and Co Rd-35 with the natural, meandering paths of the local creek beds.