2015 Map of Blue Canyon

About this map

The Sierra Nevada high country at Emigrant Gap and Blue Canyon is defined by a dense network of water management and historical transit routes across the Tahoe National Forest. This mapping reveals the critical infrastructure of the northern Sierras, where the S Yuba Canal, Drum Canal, and Upper Boardman Canal terrace the steep terrain to move water toward Lake Spaulding and the Drum Forebay. The presence of Arctic Mine Rd and Last Chance Mine Rd underscores the area's long-standing connection to resource extraction and the difficult logistics of the mountain landscape.