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1987 Map of Big Cottonwood Canyon

Name: 1987 Topographic Map of Big Cottonwood Canyon
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1987
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1987

About this map

The Tuscarora Mountains dominate this high-desert landscape in northern Nevada, where the drainage systems of the South Fork Owyhee River and Big Cottonwood Canyon define the area's complex topography. This 1987 survey reveals a remote territory primarily utilized for resource extraction and seasonal grazing. The presence of the Divide Mines in the southern reaches, along with scattered Prospects, indicates the region's enduring connection to the mining industry.

Evidence of local activity is found at Swimmers Flat along the river, a rare named flat in this dissected terrain. The map meticulously tracks the seasonal watercourses like Dry Creek and the deep incisions of Cottonwood Creek Canyon. The structural layout is dictated by the section lines of Township 40 through 42 North, which provide essential geographic context for land claims and historical research in this corner of Elko County.