1965 Map of Benton Lake West

About this map

Benton Lake National Wildlife Refuge dominates the eastern landscape of this 1960s survey, showing a complex of wetlands and water bodies like the central Benton Lake. The terrain is defined by low-lying basins and the intersection of three Montana counties — Teton, Cascade, and Chouteau. Man-made interventions in this prairie environment are marked by a long Pipeline cutting diagonally across the northwestern and southeastern corners, alongside isolated features such as a Well and a Gravel Pit. The map reveals a transition between managed wildlife habitats and the surrounding open rangeland, characterized by subtle depressions and seasonal drainages typical of the northern Great Plains before significant modern development altered the local water management patterns.