Loading map...

2023 Map of Cowan Reservoir

Name: 2023 Topographic Map of Cowan Reservoir
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 2023
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 2023

About this map

Diamond A Desert dominates this high-altitude landscape in Owyhee County, characterized by volcanic plateaus and deep drainage cuts. The northeastern corner is preserved within the Bruneau-Jarbidge Rivers Wilderness, where the terrain drops sharply into Arch Canyon and is flanked by the flat-topped Arch Table and Dorsey Table. These landforms suggest a history of intense geological erosion and seasonal water movement through arid plains.

Water management in this desert environment is evidenced by the Cowan Ditch, which follows the contours of the Dorsey Creek drainage. Isolated water sources such as Willow Spring, Dead Horse Spring, and Gardner Spring provide critical points of interest for those tracing the history of range management and early travel routes. To the southwest, the distinctive depression known as Hole in the Ground sits at the base of the Black Creek Mountains.