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1988 Map of Green River NE

Name: 1988 Topographic Map of Green River NE
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1988
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1988

About this map

The Utah Launch Complex and a northern extension of the White Sands Missile Range dominate this desert landscape in Grand County during the late 1980s. This region, situated within the Gunnison Valley, illustrates the mid-century conversion of arid public lands into specialized military testing corridors. The infrastructure of the Cold War era is evident in the multiple Transmission Lines that cut across the terrain, supporting the operations of the missile range and launch facilities.

Transportation is centered on the railroad corridor, featuring the Solitude (Siding), which served as a critical waypoint for rail traffic through this sparsely populated territory. The natural drainage of the high desert is defined by a network of seasonal watercourses, most notably Browns Wash, Solitude Wash, and Little Grand Wash. These washes dictate the local topography, carving paths through the valley that influenced the placement of both the military installations and the original rail line.