1962 Map of Cactus Reservoir

About this map

The White River carves a winding path across this Colorado landscape, defining the southern valley where industrial and agricultural water management systems converge. A network of small-scale infrastructure, including Coal Ridge Dam and Raven Park Dam, highlights the effort to capture water in a region marked by extensive draws and gulches like Fletcher Gulch and Scullion Gulch. Evidence of early resource extraction is found at the Staley Gordon Mine, while transportation is limited to a Jeep Trail and Pack Trail that navigate the high ground of Coal Ridge. Remote landmarks such as a lone Grave and the Jones Tunnel near the Rock Wall suggest a history of isolated prospecting and grazing. The map documents a period before modern development, where numerous numbered reservoirs like Box Elder Reservoir No 2 supported livestock across the Hatch Flats.