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1988 Map of Metzel Creek

Name: 1988 Topographic Map of Metzel Creek
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1988
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1988

About this map

The Red Rock River meanders through the heart of the Centennial Valley, a landscape shaped by glacial deposits and intricate drainage patterns. In the late 1980s, this area of Beaverhead County remained a critical habitat corridor, defined by the extensive wetlands of the Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge. The map details a transition from the alluvial valley floor to the high timber of the Beaverhead National Forest in the north.

Evidence of human transit and land use is sparse but specific, centered on the crossing at Brundage Bridge and a localized Gravel Pit. Named hydrologic features like Lousy Springs and several mountain-fed tributaries, including Metzel Creek and Winslow Creek, illustrate the complex water network feeding the upper Missouri River system. This survey provides a baseline of the backcountry before modern conservation adjustments, preserving the locations of remote landmarks and drainage forks used by generations of ranchers and outdoorsmen.