1982 Map of Bowden Waterhole

About this map

Blue Mountain dominates the northern reaches of this high-desert landscape in Malheur County, where water management is the defining feature of the terrain. The presence of Ninety Five Reservoir and the namesake Bowden Waterhole underscores the area's importance for livestock and range management in the early 1980s. Vital water sources are scattered throughout the drainage systems of Oregon Canyon Creek and Jackson Creek, including the McDermott Well No. 1 and McDermott Well No. 2. This survey records a landscape shaped by both natural drainage and human infrastructure, evidenced by a Single Wood Pole Transmission Line and a remote Airstrip that provided access to this corner of the Oregon high country. Researchers can trace the network of unimproved roads and trails that connected these water points and small industrial sites like the Borrow Pit.