1977 Map of Wagner SW

About this map

The Missouri River defines the southwestern corner of this orthophotoquad, captured at a moment when the regional landscape was dominated by the rigid geometries of Midwestern agriculture. Produced by the Geological Survey in cooperation with the Bureau of Indian Affairs, this 1977 aerial survey reveals the intricate patterns of crop rotation and land management across the plains of Charles Mix County. While much of the terrain is subdivided into clean rectangular fields, the dramatic erosional drainages and coulees leading toward the river break the grid, showing the deep dissection of the Missouri's bluffs. This transitional zone where managed farmland meets the uncultivated river breaks provides a clear look at how topography dictates land use in southern South Dakota.