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1959 Map of Dog Mountain

Name: 1959 Topographic Map of Dog Mountain
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1973
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1973

About this map

Harney Lake and the northern reaches of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge anchor this landscape, where the high desert meets a complex system of ephemeral basins and sage valleys. The survey captures a high-water mark for the interior drainage of the Harney Basin, showing numerous named lakes such as Frank Schmidt Lake, Batts Camp Lake, and Albert Lake dotting the northern Sage Hen Valley.

Topographic prominent features like Dog Mountain and the distinct volcanic plateau of Wrights Point break the horizon, while drainage from the Silvies River and Sage Hen Creek feeds into the salt flats and dunes at the basin floor. This map is particularly valuable for tracing the hydraulic network of the late 1950s, documenting numerous wells, the South Side Canal, and various water improvements like Lookout Butte Reservoir that were critical for maintaining livestock and wildlife in this arid region.