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1966 Map of Elk Basin

Name: 1966 Topographic Map of Elk Basin
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1969
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1969

About this map

The Elk Basin Oil Field dominates this landscape along the Wyoming-Montana border, revealing a complex industrial network of petroleum extraction in the mid-1960s. The map illustrates a high density of energy infrastructure across the northern basin and the South Elk Basin Oil Field, including a Sulphur Plant and numerous Gas Wells. The topography transitions from the dramatic breaks of Elk Basin and Silver Tip Creek to the broad, flat expanse of Polecat Bench in the south.

Industrial and transport footprints are clearly marked, from the Powell Municipal Airport near the southern edge to the various access roads and several Gravel Pit sites. Drainage patterns like Cottonwood Creek and Cottonwood Draw cut through the arid terrain, providing a look at the natural hydrology that sits alongside the heavy development of this productive oil frontier during a period of significant regional growth.