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1961 Map of Gunst Reservoir

Name: 1961 Topographic Map of Gunst Reservoir
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1963
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1963

About this map

Anderson Ranch and the Sierra Madre Ranch anchor this landscape in Carbon County, where high-altitude ranching meets the rugged northern edge of the Medicine Bow National Forest. The map documents a complex network of 1960s water management, featuring an intricate system of canals like the Wagoner Enlarged Ditch and Cherokee Ditch designed to capture runoff for livestock and irrigation. This infrastructure supports several scattered holdings, including the Indian Creek Ranch.

Cultural history is preserved along the path of the Cherokee Trail, which winds through the southern terrain, and at the Dunkard Cem near the northern boundary. Numerous water bodies, from the namesake Gunst Reservoir to the Pearl Reservoir and Reversed K Seven Reservoir, illustrate the vital role of water storage in this arid environment near the Colorado border. The terrain is defined by dramatic drainage patterns, with Cherokee Creek and Beaver Creek cutting through the Beaver Creek Hills.