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1971 Map of Big Flat East

Name: 1971 Topographic Map of Big Flat East
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1974
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1974

About this map

The Fort Belknap Indian Reservation Boundary runs vertically through this portion of Phillips County, Montana, separating the reservation lands to the west from the public and private tracts to the east. This landscape is defined by the expansive Big Flat, an elevated plateau dissected by a complex network of seasonal drainages. These coulees, including Tressler Coulee and Chicken Coulee, provide critical drainage for the plateau and show the characteristic erosion patterns of the high plains.

Water management is central to the area's utility, evidenced by the Weigand Reservoir and the winding course of Wild Horse Creek. The presence of numerous small stock ponds and fences indicates a landscape primarily dedicated to cattle ranching and dryland agriculture during the early 1970s. Tracing the intersections of Mud Creek and Sage Hen Coulee reveals the remote rural infrastructure typical of the Big Flat region.