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2016 Map of Big Joe Basin

Name: 2016 Topographic Map of Big Joe Basin
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 2016
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 2016

About this map

Browns Park and the surrounding high-desert terrain of Moffat County are captured here during a 2016 survey. The landscape is defined by its complex hydrology, where numerous named water sources like Swede Spring, Chicken Spring, and Pablo Spring support life in an otherwise arid environment. The presence of Basset Reservoir Number 2 and the Bassett Cem near Matt Cr suggests the enduring legacy of early ranching families who managed this difficult geography.

Elevation changes are dramatic, ranging from the heights of Cold Spring Mtn and Limestone Ridge down into the depressions of Big Joe Basin and Little Joe Basin. This network of ridges and canyons, including Green Canyon and Bull Canyon, illustrates a territory where movement was dictated by natural passes like Limestone Gap. The map documents a sparsely populated but deeply named landscape where every ridge, like Peekaboo Ridge, and drainage, such as Vermillion Cr, served as a vital landmark for local navigation.