1971 Map of Hanson Reservoir

About this map

The Smith River winds through this Meagher County landscape, carving a deep valley that separates the western uplands from the eastern drainages. The terrain is characterized by prominent benchlands known as Upper Birch Creek Bar and Lower Birch Creek Bar, which suggest the historic path of water through this high-altitude cattle country. To the south, the Hanson Reservoir and Jackson Lake provide essential water storage in a region dominated by seasonal drainages like Big Birch Creek and Little Birch Creek. The presence of several Spring and Springs labels, alongside a Gravel Pit, points to the modest resource extraction and ranching infrastructure typical of the area during the early 1970s. This survey records a network of unimproved roads and fence lines that define property and land use before modern development altered these traditional boundaries.