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1985 Map of Melville

Name: 1985 Topographic Map of Melville
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1985
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1985

About this map

Melville serves as the central hub of this ranching landscape in the mid-1980s, where the management of water is the most visible signature on the terrain. The hydrological system is complex, featuring the Upper Sweet Grass Canal and Lower Sweet Grass Canal that snake across the foothills to redirect flow from Sweet Grass Creek. This network includes technical elements like a siphon and sections marked as Abnd Canal, illustrating the evolving nature of irrigation in this corner of Montana.

To the south, Wheeler Butte and the Franklin Hills provide topographic relief against the winding paths of Otter Creek and Rye Creek. The presence of a Landing Strip and a Gravel Pit near the main waterways indicates a working landscape integrated with modern transport and extraction. This survey preserves a detailed view of a rural community defined by its creeks—from Cayuse Creek in the north to Big Timber Creek at the southern boundary.