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2021 Map of Gunst Reservoir

Name: 2021 Topographic Map of Gunst Reservoir
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 2021
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 2021

About this map

Medicine Bow National Forest dominates the southern reaches of this Carbon County landscape, where the high-altitude terrain gives way to an intricate system of water management. The mapping reveals a complex network of man-made irrigation and storage, featuring the Enlarged Encampment Ditch, Laroy Ditch, and Reservoir Ditch. These channels feed numerous catchments like Gunst Reservoir and Lordier Reservoir, illustrating the vital role of water rights in this arid ranching country.

Evidence of the region's western heritage is preserved in the path of the Cherokee Trail, which winds through the central valley. Local history is anchored by the Mountain View Cem near the headwaters of Cherokee Cr. From the heights of the Beaver Creek Hills to the depths of Purgatory Gulch, the map captures a landscape defined by its topography and the persistent effort to direct mountain runoff to the plains.