1990 Map of Big Sage Reservoir

About this map

Modoc National Forest encompasses the vast majority of this high-altitude terrain in Northern California, defined by a complex network of water management features and seasonal drainages. The expansive Big Sage Reservoir dominates the northern landscape, while smaller impoundments such as Upper Cummings Res, Lower Cummings Res, Kelley Reservoir, and Essex Reservoir illustrate the hydraulic engineering required to support this arid region. The topography transitions from the heights of Whittemore Ridge and the Porcupine Valley rim down into Salisbury Gulch. Small-scale resource extraction is evidenced by a Borrow Pit and a lone Prospect, suggesting a landscape used primarily for forest management and water storage during the late twentieth century. Natural water sources like Mill Springs and Rock Springs provide contrast to the larger artificial reservoirs.