2024 Map of Middle Eighth Coulee

About this map

Charles M Russell National Wildlife Refuge dominates the southern portion of this landscape, where the broken plains meet the expansive waters of Fort Peck Lake. The map reveals a highly dissected terrain defined by a series of dramatic ridges and coulees, including Middle Eighth Ridge and Sixth Ridge, which channel water toward the reservoir system. Human intervention in this arid environment is evident through several small upland catchments like Magruder Reservoir, Tiger Reservoir, and Stebley Reservoir, likely serving livestock or wildlife in these remote grazing lands. The intricate shoreline of Eighth Coulee Bay illustrates the complex topography created when the Missouri River was impounded, flooding the lower reaches of drainage features such as Middle Eighth Coulee and Upper Eighth Coulee.