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1963 Map of Chrisman Ranch

Name: 1963 Topographic Map of Chrisman Ranch
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1966
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1966

About this map

The Chrisman Ranch serves as a lone namesake landmark in this remote corner of Sweetwater County, which was surveyed at the start of the 1960s. The landscape is defined by the striking escarpment of the Blue Rim, a geological boundary that separates the high plateau from the eroded drainage systems below. This area is characterized by a network of seasonal watercourses, including Starvation Wash and Otterson Wash, which cut through the Badlands Hills.

Water management is central to the human footprint here, evidenced by a series of high-desert reservoirs such as Blue Rim Res No 4 and Blue Rim Res No 3. These small catchments, along with named springs like Alkali Spring, provide critical water sources in a landscape dominated by dry washes like Big Island Wash and the complex branches of North Branch Water Gap Wash. The primitive transportation network, consisting of the Blue Rim Road and various jeep roads, highlights the area's isolation and its primary use for ranching and resource management.