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1970 Map of Big Piney West

Name: 1970 Topographic Map of Big Piney West
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1991
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1991

About this map

The high plains of Sublette County appear here as a landscape defined by historic western migration and sophisticated 20th-century water management. The legacy of the westward expansion is etched into the terrain by the Emigrant Trail and the Lander Cutoff, which traverse the open country alongside newer infrastructure. Water remains the central character of the region, illustrated by a complex network of irrigation works including the East Star Corral Reservoir Distribution Canal and numerous family-named channels like the Mc Ninch Ditch and Ex Pence Ditch.

Extensive energy and ranching operations shape the mid-century economy, with the Ruben Oil Field and various drill holes dotting the landscape north of Piney Road. The topography is dominated by the drainage systems of North Piney Creek and South Piney Creek, which feed into the Sixty-Seven Reservoir. Genealogists may find particular interest in the Plainview Cem, a quiet landmark in a region otherwise characterized by industrial extraction and high-desert agriculture.