Loading map...

2011 Map of Chain Buttes

Name: 2011 Topographic Map of Chain Buttes
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 2011
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 2011

About this map

Fort Peck Lake dominates the northern boundary of this Petroleum County landscape, where the Missouri River's impoundment creates a complex shoreline of inlets and drainages. The terrain is defined by its coulees, specifically Garden Coulee and Dam Coulee, which channel seasonal runoff toward the reservoir. Further inland, the eponymous Chain Buttes rise above the drainage basins of Soda Creek and Hawley Creek, illustrating the characteristic erosional patterns of this central Montana region.

Evidence of ranching and water management appears in the southern portion of the map at the Locke Ranch and the nearby Headman-Field Reservoir. These features, along with the network of intermittent streams like Beauchamp Creek, highlight the necessity of water storage and land stewardship in this semi-arid environment. The mapping detail shows a sparsely populated area where topography and water access dictate the placement of human improvements.