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1963 Map of Dorris Reservoir

Name: 1963 Topographic Map of Dorris Reservoir
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1979
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1979

About this map

The Modoc National Wildlife Refuge anchors the western edge of this High Desert landscape, where the Dorris Reservoir was managed for water storage and wildlife habitat in the early 1960s. The map illustrates a highly engineered water system characterized by numerous upland catchments, including Payne Reservoir, French Reservoir, and Dannhauser Reservoir. These basins fed into a network of drainages like Pine Creek and Jim Creek, supporting the region's agricultural and power needs.

A sense of the area's early industrial and ranching history is preserved through labels like the Old Powerhouse situated along the creek and the isolated Pine Well. Further south, the settlement at Fitzhugh sits near the confluence of Fitzhugh Creek, marking a transition from the canyon-cut terrain of Renfro Canyon and White Horse Canyon in the northeast to the broader valley floors. This survey captures a moment when the rugged Modoc County interior relied heavily on these scattered wells and reservoirs to sustain its high-altitude economy.