2014 Map of Cottonwood Reservoir

About this map

Cottonwood Reservoir serves as a focal point for water management in this arid stretch of Harney County, situated just south of the Malhuer National Forest boundary. The landscape is defined by its complex drainage network, where Cottonwood Cr and Squaw Cr are captured by the Squaw Cr Reservoir and the Altnow Ditch. This infrastructure highlights the historical necessity of irrigation and livestock watering in a high-desert environment. Further south, the terrain opens into the Otis Valley and the Beede Desert, illustrating the transition from timbered forest edges to open range. Essential water sources for early ranching operations are scattered across the sheet, including Antelope Spring, Dipping Vat Spring, and Jackson Spring. Remote travel is documented by the Otis Valley Rd and Crane-Prairie-Drewsey Rd, which follow the natural contours of the land through areas like Rocky Basin and Mill Gulch.