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1971 Map of Fields Basin

Name: 1971 Topographic Map of Fields Basin
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1974
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1974

About this map

Fields Basin is revealed as a landscape defined by water management and high-desert terrain in this 1971 field-checked survey. The area is characterized by a complex network of livestock-supporting infrastructure, including Eleven Horse Reservoir, Big Basin Reservoir, and Eightmile Reservoir. Natural water sources like Bradley Lake and Pearl Wise Springs are interspersed among the dry canyons, suggesting a legacy of ranching where every seep and spring was vital for survival.

To the west, the dramatic rise of the Catlow Rim overlooks the basin, while the southern portion transitions into the northern reaches of the Pueblo Mts. Named features such as Mahogany Point and The Beef hint at local nomenclature tied to the land's flora and ranching utility. Small-scale ruins and isolated corrals, including Cone Reservoir with its nearby corral, provide evidence of human activity in an otherwise unpopulated stretch of Harney County.