2016 Map of Matheson SE

About this map

The High Plains of eastern Elbert County are defined by the intermittent drainages of the Rush Creek system, flowing through a landscape structured by the Public Land Survey System. The area is dominated by the seasonal courses of North Rush Creek and Apache Cr, which carve shallow depressions across the terrain. A sparse network of county roads, including Co RD 181 and Co RD 197, follows the rigid section lines of the survey grid, highlighting the region's agricultural and ranching organization. This mid-2010s survey reveals the persistent rural character of the land, where the only significant topographic interruptions are the winding paths of Middle Rush Creek and its various tributaries. The map serves as a record of the precise land divisions and the hydrological patterns that have dictated settlement and land use in this part of Colorado for generations.