Loading map...

1963 Map of Downey Lakes

Name: 1963 Topographic Map of Downey Lakes
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1965
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1965

About this map

High-country water management and ranching define this Albany County landscape during the early 1960s. The terrain is shaped by a complex network of irrigation features designed to move water through the arid basins, including the King Ditch, Old King Ditch, and a prominent Aqueduct crossing the northern sections. Central to the area are the Downey Lakes and Steamboat Lake, while the local economy is anchored by established family operations such as the Hunzicker Ranch, Spring Creek Ranch, and Goetz Ranch.

Strategic water storage is evident in the many catchments scattered across the range, from the Rice Reservoir to Lone Tree Reservoir No 1 and Trapper Spring Reservoir. The landscape is dominated by physical landmarks like Steamboat Rock, which overlooks the winding paths of Shell Creek and Sand Creek. This survey captures the infrastructure of the Missouri River Basin development program, illustrating how unimproved dirt roads and light-duty tracks connected these remote homesteads and reservoirs.