Loading map...

1979 Map of Mammoth Cave

Name: 1979 Topographic Map of Mammoth Cave
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1980
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1980

About this map

Mammoth Cave and the surrounding volcanic landscape of the Black Hills Butte dominate this 1970s survey of south-central Idaho. This arid region, straddling the Idaho-Lincoln Co. line, reveals a complex subterranean world with features like Gwinn Cave, Little Arch Cave, and Johnson Cave dotting the terrain. The landscape is defined by the vital necessity of water management, evidenced by an extensive network of irrigation infrastructure designed to make the high desert productive.

A series of reservoirs, including Greybull Reservoir, Nipple Reservoir, and Lake Reservoir, are linked by the Milner Gooding Canal and the North Shoshone Canal. These engineering works, alongside the Shoshone Canal, illustrate the transformation of the Snake River Plain into an agricultural corridor. Away from the canals, the presence of the Compound Well and various Borrow Pits highlights the localized extraction and utility efforts in this specific corner of the Idaho desert.