1978 Map of Butch Hill

About this map

Beaverhead National Forest land dominates this section of Beaverhead County, Montana, where the terrain shifts from high peaks like Butch Hill and Inabnit Butte down to the alluvial plains of Davis Bench. The landscape is defined by an intricate network of early irrigation efforts, including Main Jackson Ditch, West Side Ditch, and Tebo Ditch No 13, which diverted water from numerous creeks to support ranching operations. Isolated holdings such as Hairpin Ranch and the Glass Place sit among a web of drainages like Governor Creek and Harrison Creek. These features illustrate the late 1970s reliance on hydraulic engineering to sustain high-altitude grazing and agriculture in the Big Hole Valley region, where natural springs were captured and channeled through named ditches to manage the semi-arid environment.