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writing:rethinking_maps [2026/04/13 18:01] – JacobCoffinWriteswriting:rethinking_maps [2026/05/04 13:43] (current) – [Watersheds] JacobCoffinWrites
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 ==== Watersheds ==== ==== Watersheds ====
  
-{{:writing:northamerica-watersheds-2.jpg?400&direct}} {{:writing:north_america_cec_watersheds.jpg?400&direct}}+{{:writing:northamerica-watersheds-2.jpg?400&direct|https://wtny.us/watersheds-basics.asp}} {{:writing:north_america_cec_watersheds.jpg?400&direct|https://cascadiabioregion.org/department-of-bioregion/new-north-american-watershed-maps-are-here}}{{:writing:north_america_rivers_black_catchments_draft.jpg?400&direct|https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/these-beautiful-maps-capture-rivers-that-pulse-through-our-world-180971789/}}
  
 In a world where states no longer exist, borders drawn by nature may be very useful for administrative purposes. People will still need to coordinate over land and water management. In a world where states no longer exist, borders drawn by nature may be very useful for administrative purposes. People will still need to coordinate over land and water management.
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 One nice aspect of watersheds is that they though their boundaries are defined by nature their scope can be sort of arbitrary, and they can be subdivided down with ever-more specificity. That means you can generally scope these administrative zones to be as large or small as you need for your story, from huge nation-sized chunks of land all the way down to tiny town-sized areas, or even to specific streams. One nice aspect of watersheds is that they though their boundaries are defined by nature their scope can be sort of arbitrary, and they can be subdivided down with ever-more specificity. That means you can generally scope these administrative zones to be as large or small as you need for your story, from huge nation-sized chunks of land all the way down to tiny town-sized areas, or even to specific streams.
  
-{{ :writing:b842dd8f-9fa1-4c92-82c4-15ae405bd9af.webp }}+{{ :writing:b842dd8f-9fa1-4c92-82c4-15ae405bd9af.webp |https://sonoraninstitute.org/}}
  
 Watersheds as administrative areas could also provide some wonderful worldbuilding possibilities. If your setting is in the transition to a post-state world, but is not there yet, then there’s excellent potential for factions, feuds, drama, and plot hooks in the existing states losing relevance to watershed organizations that overlap their territory and authorities, but don’t necessarily encompass all of them. Watersheds as administrative areas could also provide some wonderful worldbuilding possibilities. If your setting is in the transition to a post-state world, but is not there yet, then there’s excellent potential for factions, feuds, drama, and plot hooks in the existing states losing relevance to watershed organizations that overlap their territory and authorities, but don’t necessarily encompass all of them.
  
 There will also still be plenty of room for conflict within these administrative areas. For example, even if a state or province border doesn't divide the upper and lower half of a river, the upstream and downstream communities encompassed in that watershed may be very different in culture and in how they use the river. A watershed management council would have to navigate the competing visions of large and populous arcologies at the river forks and the sparsely populated but upstream river highlands. How would this organization mediate between the interests of the two groups? If it was directly democratic, would the highlanders feel politically impotent compared to the more populous lowlanders? How far would the river people go to enforce their vision of water management on the culturally distinct stream tenders? There will also still be plenty of room for conflict within these administrative areas. For example, even if a state or province border doesn't divide the upper and lower half of a river, the upstream and downstream communities encompassed in that watershed may be very different in culture and in how they use the river. A watershed management council would have to navigate the competing visions of large and populous arcologies at the river forks and the sparsely populated but upstream river highlands. How would this organization mediate between the interests of the two groups? If it was directly democratic, would the highlanders feel politically impotent compared to the more populous lowlanders? How far would the river people go to enforce their vision of water management on the culturally distinct stream tenders?
 +
  
 ==== Biomes and Hardiness Zones ==== ==== Biomes and Hardiness Zones ====
  
-{{:writing:f57881ee-cc8f-4a4e-9a76-4b37519919d5.webp?direct&400|}} {{:writing:usda-hardiness-maps-3757925583.jpg?direct&400|}}+{{:writing:f57881ee-cc8f-4a4e-9a76-4b37519919d5.webp?400&direct}} {{:writing:usda-hardiness-maps-3757925583.jpg?400&direct}}
  
 Depending on what's being managed, dividing things by biome or hardiness zone might make more sense. These are another natural boundary, though often a softer one than the watersheds. Depending on what's being managed, dividing things by biome or hardiness zone might make more sense. These are another natural boundary, though often a softer one than the watersheds.
  
-It's also possible that these could be used at the same time as each other, and as the watersheds, via [[https://anarchoccultism.org/building-zion/a-solarpunk-fractal-microservices|bureaucratic microservices]] where various responsibilities currently glomed together in government would be broken out into many separate, single-purpose organizations.  +It's possible that these could be used at the same time as each other, and as the watersheds, if different systems are used by different [[https://anarchoccultism.org/building-zion/a-solarpunk-fractal-microservices|bureaucratic microservices]] where various responsibilities currently glomed together in government would be broken out into many separate, single-purpose organizations. 
-====Flexible territories===+ 
 +==== Land Back ==== 
 + 
 +{{:writing:b39b2d07-f63c-4d43-a31c-700fd660aed3.webp?400|https://www.npr.org/2022/10/10/1127837659/native-land-map-ancestral-tribal-lands-worldwide}} 
 + 
 +If your setting involves successful Land Back movements you might want to draw some inspiration from the overlapping zones of the [[https://native-land.ca/|historical lands of indigenous peoples]]. Though it's also worth considering the present day reservations in the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Indian_reservations_in_the_United_States|US]] and [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Indian_reserves_in_Canada|Canada]] as those are also home for many people today. 
 + 
 +{{:writing:indian_lands_of_federally_recognized_tribes_of_the_us_june_2016.pdf.jpg?400&direct}} 
 + 
 +This option is going to need some special consideration, as there is a tremendous amount of traumatic history shaping the present status quo and a lot of entrenched changes between the above maps. 
 + 
 +Sovereignity is a key pillar in land back and different First Nations / Native communities and individuals are going to have very different ideas about the best way to utilize a space. These often [[https://macleans.ca/society/senakw-vancouver/|don't conform to stereotype or outside expectations about what indigenous communities should want to do with their land]]. Identifying a realistic shape for this future will require input from the specific people concerned, or especially careful research if you're not a member of the group. 
 + 
 +For a look at the historical territories, this interactive map is very useful: [[https://www.npr.org/2022/10/10/1127837659/native-land-map-ancestral-tribal-lands-worldwide]] 
 + 
 +Though in anything short of alternative history you're likely going to want to use some hybrid of historical territories and modern landmarks.
  
 +==== All of The Above ====
  
 +There’s no need to restrict yourself to just one new way of redrawing the map. Societies are messy, and though they're often slow to change, multiple groups may be working on different changes at the same time. It wouldn’t be unrealistic to end up with a mix of all of the above, along with existing cities and state or national borders too. [[https://www.reddit.com/r/imaginarymaps/comments/uwgniw/north_america_reimagined_in_this_world_all/#lightbox|Here’s one example]], from an impressive alt-history project.
  
-And there’s no need to restrict yourself to just one new way of redrawing the map. Societies are messy, and often slow to change. It wouldn’t be unrealistic to end up with a mix of all of the above, along with existing cities and state or national borders too. [[https://www.reddit.com/r/imaginarymaps/comments/uwgniw/north_america_reimagined_in_this_world_all/#lightbox|Here’s one example]], though it’s alt-history rather than scifi.+This page, (like all the rest in this wiki) is a work in progress. If you have ideas on other ways to redraw a map or see something needing correction, please reach out!