1980 Map of Black Butte East

About this map

Bruneau Desert dominates this high plateau region in Owyhee County, where the 1980 landscape is defined by vast drainage systems and scattered ranching improvements. Evidence of seasonal water and livestock management is central to the area's utility, marked by a lone Corral situated near the headwaters of Pot Hole Creek. These seasonal channels, along with Sailor Creek and the notable rise of The Big Hill, illustrate the complex drainage patterns required to navigate this arid environment. The map shows a network of Trail and Jeep tracks that provide the only passage across the tablelands, connecting high points like Black Butte to the surrounding basins. This topographic record preserves the remote character of the Idaho desert before modern developments altered many traditional rangeland access points.