2011 Map of Black Rock Spring

About this map

Black Rock Spring and Nelson Spring anchor this arid Yakima County landscape, where water sources dictated the placement of early 21st-century cattle operations. The terrain is defined by the incision of Firewater Canyon and the courses of Selah Creek and Cold Creek, which provide the primary drainage for this high-desert plateau. This area illustrates the persistence of large-scale ranching in Washington's interior, evidenced by named holdings like the Coffin Ranch and the MacIntosh-Douglas Ranch. The map reveals a sparse network of local roads and 4WD tracks that connect these remote outposts to the wider region, reflecting the low-density land use and topographic constraints of the central Washington steppe.