2011 Map of Cluster Buttes

About this map

Cluster Buttes rises above a landscape defined by the branching drainages of the Cottonwood Creek system and Castle Creek in Dawson County. This 2011 survey illustrates a sparsely populated region of eastern Montana, where human intervention is primarily represented by local water management and rural transit routes. The presence of Jet Set Dam and Blyton Dam suggests the importance of water storage in this arid drainage basin, serving local agricultural or ranching needs. Connectivity is maintained by a minimal network of thoroughfares, including Road 328 and the appropriately named River Rd, which skirts the lower drainages. The map provides a clear record of the area's hydrology, tracing the split between the North Fork Cottonwood Creek and South Fork Cottonwood Creek, as well as the path of Box Elder Creek near the southern margin.