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2017 Map of Hope Butte

Name: 2017 Topographic Map of Hope Butte
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 2017
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 2017

About this map

Bully Cr Reservoir and the expansive waters of the Vale Oregon Main Canal dominate the lower elevations of this Malheur County landscape. The high ground is defined by prominent volcanic features like Hope Butte and Sugarloaf Butte, which rise above the broad basin of Hope Flat. This area is characterized by a sophisticated network of water management, where numerous artificial catchments such as Hope Flat Reservoir and Willow Creek Reservoir support the arid environment.

Evidence of the natural hydrology that preceded these larger projects remains visible through scattered landmarks like Hot Spring, Cottonwood Spring, and Foster Spring. These features, along with names like Willow Cr Waterhole, suggest the historical importance of localized water sources for grazing and early land use before the construction of the larger irrigation systems that now define the region's agricultural potential.