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1984 Map of Alkali Lake

Name: 1984 Topographic Map of Alkali Lake
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1984
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1984

About this map

Alkali Lake and the broader Alkali Valley dominate this high desert landscape in Lake County, where water is the primary architect of human and animal movement. The map records a series of ephemeral water sources critical for livestock and desert survival, including the curiously named Horror Spring, Hutton Spring, and Poor Jug Well. These points of relief are scattered across a terrain of Sand Dunes and expansive basins.

Industrial and agricultural traces appear in the form of a Borrow Pit and a designated Animal Bedground, the latter suggesting the area's use for open-range grazing. To the south, the elevation rises toward Venator Butte, overlooking the wide expanse of Coleman Flat. This provisional 1980s data illustrates a sparsely settled corner of Oregon where natural geography, rather than urban development, dictates the presence of landmarks.