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1970 Map of Bloom Creek

Name: 1970 Topographic Map of Bloom Creek
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1973
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1973

About this map

Custer National Forest lands dominate this corner of Powder River County, where a complex network of ephemeral drainages and small-scale water management projects define the ranching landscape. The survey captures the intricate cattle-country geography of the early 1970s, marked by numerous small impoundments such as Rimrock Reservoir, Bull Reservoir, Dunning Reservoir, and Swope Reservoir. These man-made features, alongside named water sources like Wolf Den Spring, illustrate the essential infrastructure required for livestock operations in the arid Montana breaks.

The eastern edge of the quadrangle is defined by the winding course of the Powder River, where the terrain shifts from the high, dissected ridges of the national forest to the broad river bottom. Significant tributaries including Bloom Creek, Plum Creek, and Dutch Gulch carve through the landscape, revealing the erosional patterns of the region. This topographical study provides a precise look at the rural land use and hydraulic engineering of the era, from the upland Plum Creek Reservoir to the cattle-guards and fencelines that crisscross the prairie.