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1971 Map of Black Draw

Name: 1971 Topographic Map of Black Draw
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1975
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1975

About this map

The Powder River snakes through the high plains of northern Campbell County, marking a landscape defined by its complex drainage network and early energy extraction. This 1970s survey captures a transition point in the region, where livestock water sources and topographical landmarks like Watson Basin and Water Gap coexist with industrial markers. Significant ranching and geographical history is embedded in the naming of local drainages such as L X Bar Draw and Yerger Draw.

Evidence of the area's mineral resources is scattered across the terrain, notably through various Oil Well locations and a Gravel Pit near the river. The map also delineates the administrative boundary between Powder River and Campbell Counties, and the state line where Wyoming meets Montana. Tributaries like Coal Creek and Dead Horse Creek carve through the breaks, illustrating the arid, water-carved character of the Powder River Basin during this era.