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1981 Map of Ayer

Name: 1981 Topographic Map of Ayer
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1981
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1981

About this map

The Snake River dominates this 1981 landscape at the boundary of Franklin and Walla Walla Counties. The river's character here is defined by Lake Herbert G West, a reservoir formed behind the Lower Monumental Dam. This reach of the river functions as a critical transportation corridor, where the Union Pacific railroad tracks follow the southern bank through the settlement of Ayer.

Rail and river infrastructure are deeply integrated, as seen at Ayer Junction and the nearby Ayer Boat Basin. Inland from the river, the terrain rises into the dissected plateaus of Fields Gulch and the area near Pleasant. Evidence of local industry and utility is scattered across the topography, including numerous Borrow Pits, an Aqueduct, and a Pumping Station. A remote Landing Strip in the southwest corner and a riverside Water Tank highlight the logistical challenges of this arid, working landscape during the early 1980s.