1981 Map of Manti

About this map

Manti-La Sal National Forest dominates the center of this 1981 survey, spanning the high elevations of the Wasatch Plateau. The map documents the distinct geography of Central Utah, where the San Pitch River valley provides the backbone for historical Mormon corridor settlements like Manti, Ephraim, and Spring City. These agricultural communities are connected by the Denver and Rio Grande Western railroad, which follows the contours of the valley floor. To the east, the landscape drops toward the Castle Valley, featuring the coal-mining and farming towns of Orangeville and Castle Dale. Water management is a primary theme of the era, visible in the network of high-country catchments such as Joes Valley Reservoir and Miller Flat Reservoir, which support the irrigation needs of the arid Sanpete and Emery county basins below.