1950 Map of Coyote Coulee

About this map

The Fort Peck Indian Reservation defines much of this landscape, where the Missouri River Basin development project influenced mapping efforts in the late 1940s. The terrain is deeply etched by a network of seasonal watercourses and coulees, most notably the meandering path of Coyote Coulee and its South Branch. These drainage patterns are characteristic of the semi-arid northern plains, showing how water has carved the high benchlands. Local history is anchored by the Schnitzler Ranch in the northern portion of the map, a rare named settlement marker in an area otherwise dominated by topography. Other primary water features including Smoke Creek, Spring Creek, and Lake Creek illustrate the natural irrigation and livestock-watering infrastructure essential to this region of Roosevelt County.