1972 Map of Arco North

About this map

The Big Lost River Valley forms a wide agricultural corridor through central Idaho, dominated by an intricate network of irrigation systems and the Union Pacific railroad line. Managed water is central to the landscape, with the Arco Canal, Munsey Ditch, and Lower Blaine Canal snaking through the valley floor to support local ranching and farming. To the east, the terrain rises sharply into the Challis National Forest, where landmarks like Arco Peak and a Natural Arch overlook the desert basin. The community of Moore sits to the north, while the outskirts of a larger settlement appear at the southern edge, featuring the Lost River Hospital and Hillcrest Cem. This era of the early 1970s shows the region’s reliance on the Big Lost River for both transit and sustenance, with the Diversion Dam and various sewage disposal ponds marking the infrastructure of the time.