1982 Map of Drummond Basin

About this map

The Owyhee River carves a deep path through this remote portion of Malheur County, defining a landscape of high ridges and narrow canyons in the early 1980s. This survey, based on field checks from 1979, illustrates the essential water management of the high desert, including specialized catchments like South Drummond Basin Reservoir, Overtime Reservoir, and Bay Duke Reservoir. The intricate canyon systems of Antelope Canyon and South Cross Canyon converge toward the river's winding course, where the Lower Crossing and Five Bar once served as critical transit points. The topography is marked by distinctive geological features such as the Sacramento Caves and the prominent Brown Ridge, which overlooks the Drummond Breaks. An Underground Pipeline cut across the arid terrain of Drummond Basin, signaling modern infrastructure reaching into a region characterized by its isolated springs like Brown Spring.