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1969 Map of Dry Lake

Name: 1969 Topographic Map of Dry Lake
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1973
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1973

About this map

The Milk River and its expansive Fresno Reservoir dominate the northeastern corner of this Montana landscape, where the prairie is carved by a network of drainage channels known locally as coulees. These deep cuts, including Archie Coulee and Spring Coulee, define the hydrology of the region as they carry runoff toward the river basin. Cultural landmarks are concentrated in the west-central portion of the sheet, centered around the Milk River Valley Ch and a nearby Cem, reflecting the scattered settlement patterns of Hill County during the late 1960s.

Several ephemeral water features, such as Dry Lake and the Alkali Lakes, illustrate the arid character of the terrain. The presence of Storage Bins at multiple locations near Alkali Coulee suggests an economy reliant on grain production and agricultural storage. This survey, based on 1968 photography, captures the relationship between the engineered reservoir and the natural network of the Chain of Lakes Coulee.