2014 Map of Diatomite Reservoir

About this map

The high desert landscape of Lake County is defined here by a network of essential water sources and specialized industrial activity. The Diatomite Mine stands as a primary feature, marking the extraction of silica-rich sedimentary rock from the terrain near Saunders Rim and Diatomite Reservoir. This 2014 survey documents a region where survival and industry are dictated by water management, evidenced by the numerous named catchments distributed across the townships, including Sammys Horse Pen Waterhole and the Brattain Waterhole Number 4. Access to this remote interior is facilitated by dirt routes like Sheep Rock Rd and Burma Rd, which navigate the elevation changes between the prominent Twin Buttes and the surrounding sagebrush plains.