2013 Map of Bowie

About this map

Bowie and the nearby Juanita Junction sit at the southern foot of the West Elk Mountains, where the high desert terrain meets the North Fork Gunnison River. This 2013 survey illustrates an intricate network of agricultural and industrial water management, featuring systems like the Fire Mountain Canal, Terror Ditch, and Farmers Ditch that feed the productive flats of Garvin Mesa, Pitkin Mesa, and Lennox Mesa. The northern half of the landscape rises sharply into the Gunnison National Forest, defined by steep drainage basins such as Iron Point Gulch and Freeman Gulch. Historically significant locations like Julian Ditch Camp and Morrell Cow Camp point to the area's legacy of ranching and water engineering, while the presence of Coal Gulch reflects the region's long-standing connection to resource extraction along the river corridor.