1974 Map of Turtle Lake NW

About this map

Crooked Lake anchors the southeastern corner of this orthophotoquad, which captures the McLean County landscape as it appeared in the mid-1970s. Unlike traditional topographic maps, this aerial perspective reveals the intricate, textured patterns of the region's agricultural heartland. The image provides an uncompromising look at the geometric precision of the Great Plains' section-line farming, where vast rectangular fields are punctuated by natural depressions and seasonal wetlands. This 1974 survey was produced through the cooperation of the State Water Commission, illustrating the vital intersection of prairie land use and water resource management in North Dakota's central drift plains.