1979 Map of Crowbar Spring

About this map

The Black Rock Desert dominates this arid landscape in Humboldt County, where the topography transition from stark playa to the drainage systems of the surrounding hills. Water is the defining scarce resource of the area, centered around Crowbar Spring and the intermittent flows of Paiute Creek, Battle Creek, and Indian Creek. These watercourses eventually give way to the broad, flat basin of the Quinn River as it meanders through the desert floor. This 1970s survey, compiled from 1972 aerial photography and 1975 field checks, illustrates the complex drainage patterns and elevation contours of one of Nevada's most distinctive geographic regions before modern recreational usage increased in intensity.