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1979 Map of Cowan Reservoir

Name: 1979 Topographic Map of Cowan Reservoir
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1979
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1979

About this map

The Diamond A Desert defines this high-desert landscape along the Idaho and Nevada border in the late 1970s. This survey records a remote ranching environment where water management is the primary driver of human activity, centered around the Cowan Reservoir and the extensive Cowan Ditch system. Evidence of early settlement and livestock operations appear at the Cowan Homestead, Rutherford Ranch, and Jones Ranch, while isolated features like a simple Shack and a Water Tank suggest the sparse infrastructure of the era.

Water sources are critical markers across the terrain, with Willow Spring, Dead Horse Spring, and Gardner Spring providing necessary relief from the arid surrounding plateaus. The topography is characterized by distinct mesas such as Dorsey Table and the drainage of Cougar Creek. A network of unimproved routes, including several stretches of Jeep Trail, provides the only access through this corner of Owyhee and Elko counties.