2011 Map of Arkansas Flat

About this map

Big Swamp Reservoir and the adjacent Big Swamp Dam anchor the northern landscape of this Oregon high-desert region, where water management is central to the land's utility. The area is defined by a network of ranching properties, such as Lapham Ranch and Utley Ranch, and a sophisticated system of reservoirs including Arkansas Reservoir, Lapham Reservoir, and Lower Pitt Lake. These features, along with names like Arkansas Flat and Secret Valley, reflect the legacy of early 20th-century homesteading and water engineering in Lake County. The terrain transitions from the heights of Juniper Mountain and Barnes Rim down into drainage systems like Fishhole Creek and Dent Creek. Notable for modern access, the Aspen Ridge Trailhead sits near the headwaters, while the presence of numerous named springs, such as Albertson Spring and Buzzard Roost Spring, points to the vital dispersed water sources that supported livestock and travel throughout the dry basins of Dry Valley and Squaw Flat.