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2017 Map of Downey Canyon

Name: 2017 Topographic Map of Downey Canyon
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 2017
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 2017

About this map

Table Mtn and the surrounding high desert of Malheur County are defined by an intricate network of seasonal drainage and remote ranching infrastructure. The landscape is carved by Downey Canyon and Box Canyon, where intermittent water sources like Downey Cr and Cow Cr flow toward various storage sites. These small-scale water management features, including Goodyear Reservoir and C T Reservoir, illustrate the critical importance of water rights and stock watering in this arid corner of eastern Oregon.

Transportation across this terrain relies on a series of specialized routes, such as the Mahogany Cutoff and Fells Spring Cutoff, which connect isolated landmarks like Big Ridge and Oliver Spring. The presence of numerous named springs, from Rock Spring to Mud Spring, provides vital map markers for local history researchers and genealogists tracing the movement of early settlers and ranching families through these townships.