2011 Map of Big Lake

About this map

The Aquarius Plateau defines this high-elevation landscape, where a sophisticated network of springs and reservoirs supported land use in the early twenty-first century. Water management is central to the area's geography, evidenced by the Roundy Reservoir Dam and the Indian Spring Reservoir. These man-made features sit alongside natural catchments like Big Lake, Pelham Lake, and Lake Philo. The terrain is marked by distinct flats and draws, such as Rockwell Flat and Allen Well Draw, which likely served as key navigational or grazing markers. Transportation across this portion of Garfield County relied on established forest routes, including Forest Rd 157 and USFS Rd 154, which navigate the rises of Pelham Knoll and the descent toward Willow Bottom.