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2017 Map of Big Mud Flat

Name: 2017 Topographic Map of Big Mud Flat
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 2017
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 2017

About this map

Big Mud Flat serves as the namesake for this high-desert landscape in Malheur County, where the management of water is the defining human footprint. Numerous man-made catchments, including Knottingham Reservoir, Harry Page Reservoir, and Ben Odell Reservoir, are distributed across the terrain, suggesting the area's importance for livestock grazing or wildlife management. The landscape transitions from the broad, open expanses of the flats into the intricate drainages of Black Canyon and Juniper Canyon.

Transport through this part of the Oregon backcountry is limited to a few established routes such as Mud Flat Rd and Antelope Flat Rd. Along the eastern edge, the topography becomes significantly more complex where the Owyhee Breaks descend toward the basin. Named water sources like Whiskey Springs and Eads Springs provide critical landmarks in a region characterized by sparse vegetation and seasonal drainages like Willow Springs.