1988 Map of Birch Creek Meadow

About this map

Birch Creek Meadow lies at the heart of this high-desert landscape along the boundary of Malheur and Baker Counties. Surveyed in the mid-1980s, the terrain is defined by a complex drainage system including the West Fork Birch Creek and a network of named gulches such as Matthew Gulch and Dry Gulch. Water management is central to this area's utility, evidenced by the sequential Kivett Reservoir No 1, Kivett Reservoir No 2, and Kivett Reservoir No 3. These man-made features, alongside numerous isolated springs like Falkner Spring and Cottonwood Spring, supported the region's ranching and resource needs. Small-scale industrial activity is marked by a Gravel Pit and scattered Prospects, indicating early attempts to extract value from the rocky soil near the Bluff.