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2011 Map of Barber Coulee

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

USGS Topo · Published 2011

About this map

Barber Coulee and Scott Coulee define the drainage patterns of this Phillips County landscape, where the management of water is central to the land's utility. The area is characterized by an extensive network of small-scale water control features, including the Second Telegraph Dam and various structures named for local landholders like the William Knight Number 1 Dam and R Pankratz Number 1 Dam. These reservoirs and dams, such as None Dam, suggest a long history of cattle ranching and agricultural adaptation in this arid part of Montana.

Waterbodies like Shed Lake and Beam Lake sit in the north, while the landscape is dissected by the Fourchette Creek and Dry Fork Creek systems. The road network is sparse, centered on Midale RD and DRY Fork RD, which provide access to these isolated water points and ranching operations. The naming conventions of the dams, including the Lazy JD Number 12 Dam, offer a direct connection to the regional branding and land-use history of the early 21st century.