2016 Map of Cottonwood Basin

About this map

Sawmill Mesa and its network of water management features dominate this portion of Montrose County within the Uncompahgre National Forest. This high-altitude landscape is defined by an intricate system of catchments and diversions, including the Little Monitor Headgate and a series of numbered reservoirs such as Big Monitor Reservoir Number 1, Middle Monitor Reservoir, and Hawkins Reservoir Number 2. The terrain is characterized by dramatic elevation shifts from Dry Mesa and Peach Orchard Point down into the deep incisions of Dry Fork Escalante Cr and Cottonwood Cr. These features reflect the long-standing importance of water rights and ranching infrastructure in the region, where roads like Dry Mesa Rd and the Cottonwood Trail provide access to cattle grazing allotments and remote forest resources.