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2021 Map of Thatcher

Name: 2021 Topographic Map of Thatcher
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 2021
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 2021

About this map

The Fort Niobrara National Wildlife Refuge dominates the northern landscape of this Cherry County region, preserving a critical intersection of river valley and prairie ecosystems. The Niobrara National Scenic River flows through the northwest corner, where the terrain shifts toward the canyon-carved banks of the Niobrara Wild and Scenic River. This area is defined by its transition from protected federal lands to the open ranching country of the Sandhills.

Evidence of the region's human geography is concentrated near the settlement of Thatcher and the historic Taylor Cem, marking early homesteading and ranching roots. The Cowboy Trl cuts across the center of the map, following a legacy transportation corridor that once linked the towns of northern Nebraska. To the southeast, the drainage of Fairfield Cr marks the edge of a landscape dotted with numerous wetlands and ponds characteristic of the surrounding plains.