2021 Map of Blue Basin

About this map

The Independence Mountains dominate this Elko County landscape, where high-altitude ranching and drainage networks define the terrain. Modern topographic data from the U.S. Geological Survey reveals a system of named pastures and grazing lands, including Hereford Field, Basco Field, and Taylor Field, situated along the winding course of Maggie Cr. These fields, tied to the Red House Ranch infrastructure, illustrate the organized use of water rights in this arid Nevada basin. The map tracks the headwaters and seasonal flows of numerous tributaries such as Lone Mountain Cr and Chicken Cr, which converge near the eponymous Blue Basin. This detailed record captures the spatial relationship between the rugged upland slopes and the managed agricultural bottomlands at the start of the 2020s.