2011 Map of Combs Ranch

About this map

Combs Ranch anchors this portion of Prairie County, where the landscape is defined by the strategic management of water across the Montana plains. The reliance on small-scale hydraulic engineering is evident in the numerous earthen structures found here, including the McMullin Dam and the Pfaff Irrigation Dam. These features, alongside the Janitell Number 1 Dam and McDevlin Number 1 Dam, suggest a pattern of localized ranching and agricultural endurance in a region where seasonal flows from Ash Creek and Whites Creek must be captured to sustain the land. Remote access to these homesteads and water works is provided by the winding paths of Cherry Creek Rd and Deadman Rd, which traverse the coulees and drainages leading toward the forks of Timber Creek.