1973 Map of Four Corners

About this map

Whitehorse Butte overlooks a high desert landscape where the borders of Idaho and Nevada meet in the 1970s. This arid terrain is defined by its catchment systems, which were essential for managing livestock in the vast Horse Basin and Juniper Basin. Isolated settlements and temporary outposts such as Four Corners and State Line Camp anchor a network of unimproved roads and fence lines that crisscross the Y P Desert. The reliance on surface water is evident in the strategic placement of the Four Corners Reservoir, Little Juniper Basin Res, and East Horse Basin Reservoir. A prominent pipeline and various benchmarks like BM 5215 trace the efforts of surveyors and engineers to navigate and utilize this remote high-plateau environment during the early 1970s.