Loading map...

1990 Map of Burns NW

Name: 1990 Topographic Map of Burns NW
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1990
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1990

About this map

The Silvies River winds through the high desert of Harney County, carving a narrow valley through a landscape defined by seasonal drainages and cattle country. This 1990 provisional survey documents a network of water management features essential to ranching in the Oregon interior, including the Skull Creek Reservoir, Green Flat Reservoir, and Shoeffer Reservoir. These man-made catchments, paired with natural sources like Cherry Spring, illustrate the careful orchestration of water in an arid environment.

Topographic markers such as Boone Canyon, Cave Gulch, and the prominent Mud Ridge orient the terrain between the forks of Willow Creek and East Willow Creek. The absence of large-scale settlements highlights the rural, resource-focused character of the region during the late twentieth century, where named landmarks like Charlie Creek and Boulder Canyon served as primary points of reference for landholders and surveyors alike.