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2024 Map of Kepple Bottoms

Name: 2024 Topographic Map of Kepple Bottoms
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 2024
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 2024

About this map

Missouri River meanders through the heart of the Charles M Russell National Wildlife Refuge, shaping a landscape defined by its fertile alluvial flats. These distinct river-level benches, including Kepple Bottoms, Manning Bottoms, and Halpen Bottoms, represent a classic Missouri Breaks topography where the water's path dictates both the terrain and the boundaries between Fergus and Phillips counties. Historically, these 'bottoms' served as critical points of access and habitation in an otherwise high-relief region.

Away from the riverbanks, the terrain rises sharply toward Wilder Ridge and is dissected by deep drainage features like Pugh Coulee and Wilder Coulee. The interior is marked by the presence of the Wilder Trl and remote water sources such as the Rock Cr Reservoir on Rock Creek, illustrating the long-standing importance of water management in this high-plains environment. This area remains a preserved corridor of Montana's riverine heritage, relatively unchanged by modern development.