2011 Map of Hedstrom Lake SE

About this map

Timber Creek and its many tributaries, including Slinker Creek and Chalk Butte Creek, carve a branching drainage pattern across this Garfield County landscape. The area is defined by a sparse network of prairie roads, most notably Big Sheep Mountain Rd and Crow Rock Rd, which follow the higher ground between the creek beds. A rare point of water management in this dry environment is found at Swift Dam, which regulates flow along one of the Slinker Creek branches. Further south, the map follows the course of Tree Creek as it winds through the southern reaches of the quadrangle. This 2011 survey illustrates the persistent isolation of the Montana plains, where infrastructure is limited to essential ranching routes and water-retention features that support the regional cattle-grazing economy.