1952 Map of Crowheart NW

About this map

The Wind River Indian Reservation dominates this 1952 study of the high-desert terrain in central Wyoming. The landscape is defined by the winding course of Crow Creek, which cuts through the canyon country in the western half of the map. In the southwest, the irrigation history of the region is visible through Nnigans Ditch, which follows the contours of the land just north of the shifting Sand Dunes. This survey was prepared by the Geological Survey as part of a Department of the Interior program for the development of the Missouri River Basin. The intricate topography shows the transition from the high ridges down to Ega Draw in the east, capturing a moment when cattle ranching and early water management shaped the use of these reservation lands.