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2011 Map of Balls Lake

Name: 2011 Topographic Map of Balls Lake
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 2011
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 2011

About this map

Water management and cattle ranching structures define this high-desert portion of Harney County, seen here in the early 21st century. The landscape is dotted with essential infrastructure for survival in a dry environment, including numerous catchments like Pickett Spring Reservoir, North Loggerhead Reservoir, and Hartman Reservoir. These man-made features, alongside natural points such as Loggerhead Spring and Duayne Spring, highlight the critical importance of every water source for local livestock operations.

Signs of human occupation and labor appear in isolated landmarks like Denis Cabin and the Foot of the Trail Corral, which suggest the movement of ranch hands and cattle across the basin. From the namesake Balls Lake to the uniquely named Lake in the Brush, the map documents a terrain where drainage and storage are the primary drivers of land use. Topographical features like Orejana Basin and Rose Brier Canyon further illustrate the drainage patterns that feed into these vital reservoirs.