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1971 Map of Kepple Bottoms

Name: 1971 Topographic Map of Kepple Bottoms
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1975
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1975

About this map

The Missouri River carves a winding path through the Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Range in this 1970s topographic study. This segment of the river is characterized by expansive river flats or bottoms, including Kepple Bottoms, Charles Bottoms, and Withro Bottoms, which provided critical grazing land and passage points in a region dominated by sharp coulees and plateaus. The topography reveals the complex drainage systems of Carroll Coulee and Tomty Coulee as they descend toward the river valley.

Evidence of early frontier movement is preserved in the Old Musselshell Trail and the Wilder Trail, which trace the high ground and valley floors. Isolated outposts such as Gar Ranch and Rindal Ranch represent the persistent ranching heritage on the Fergus and Phillips county line. The presence of Rock Creek Reservoir and the backwaters of Fort Peck Lake illustrate the 20th-century management of these prairie waters.