1952 Map of Muskrat Basin

About this map

Beaver Rim dominates the northern landscape of this Fremont County survey, where the high plateaus drop sharply toward the drainages of the Muskrat Basin. The map captures a high-desert terrain shaped by livestock ranching and natural water sources, characterized by the presence of the Sherlock Shearing Pens and the sheltered Indian Grove. Numerous ephemeral waterways, including Muskrat Creek, Buffalo Creek, and the East Fork Long Creek, carve through the basin's floor. This 1952 study, based on 1949 aerial photography and later photorevised in the 1980s, highlights the essential relationship between water and land use in this arid region. The network of unimproved roads and draws, such as Cottonwood Draw and Horseshoe Draw, reveals the remote infrastructure used by ranchers and land managers in the mid-20th century.