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1961 Map of Finley Reservoir

Name: 1961 Topographic Map of Finley Reservoir
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1984
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1984

About this map

The Medicine Bow National Forest dominates the eastern landscape of this 1961 survey, where the rugged terrain of Cumberland Gulch transitions into the high plains of Carbon County. Water management is the primary signature of human activity here, evidenced by an extensive network of irrigation infrastructure including the Wiant Highland Ditch, Campbell Ditch, and Pacific Ditch. These systems draw from the North Platte River, which winds through the southwest corner of the sheet near the Lazy River M Ranch.

Family ranching legacies are well-preserved in the settlement patterns, with several named homesteads such as Finley Ranch, Wiant Ranch, and Chastain Ranch scattered throughout the valleys. Two significant upland water bodies, Finley Reservoir and Horn and Meason Reservoir, serve as focal points for local water rights and livestock operations in a region defined by its high-altitude draws like Badger Draw and Buck Springs Draw.