1989 Map of Birch Creek Ranch

About this map

Birch Creek Ranch and the small settlement of Birch anchor this high-desert landscape on the western edge of the Big Smoky Valley. This 1989 revision, based on field work dating back to 1960 and aerial photography from 1983, illustrates the rural infrastructure of central Nevada. The terrain is defined by the drainage of Birch Creek, Lynch Creek, and Tar Creek as they flow eastward from the foothills of the Toiyabe National Forest. The map documents a sparse network of unimproved roads and 4WD tracks that connect remote ranching sites with resource extraction points, such as various Borrow Pits and a prominent Transmission Line crossing the valley floor. The placement of section lines and the R 44 E and R 45 E boundaries provide a clear framework for those studying land use and historical property boundaries in Lander County.