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1969 Map of China Bend

Name: 1969 Topographic Map of China Bend
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1971
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1971

About this map

The Columbia River carves a sharp path through Stevens County, defining the corridor of the Coulee Dam National Recreation Area. By the late 1960s, the impounded waters of Franklin D Roosevelt Lake dominate the valley floor, held at a normal pool elevation of 1289 feet. The landscape reflects the industrial and transportation needs of northeastern Washington, where the Burlington Northern railroad follows the eastern riverbank through small settlements like Marble and past the site of China.

Upland from the river, the terrain rises toward several prominent peaks including Lookout Mtn and O'Toole Mtn. These higher elevations are dotted with smaller water bodies such as O'Toole Lake and Phalon Lake. For those interested in regional industry, the map identifies various extraction sites, most notably the Silver Trail Mine in the southern portion of the quadrangle and several quarries near the river, signaling the area's history of mineral and resource development.