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2024 Map of Niles Coulee

Name: 2024 Topographic Map of Niles Coulee
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 2024
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 2024

About this map

Niles Coulee and the surrounding drainage network define this Valley County landscape, where the seasonal movement of water across the High Plains has carved a complex system of draws and coulees. The map shows a region adapted for ranching and water management, with numerous small impoundments such as Corral Reservoir, Mc Kee Reservoir, and Loblolly Reservoir catching runoff in an arid environment. These water sources, along with Niles Spring, suggest the critical importance of reliable watering points for livestock in this corner of Montana.

Transportation is defined by a sparse network of unpaved access ways, including Ridge Rd and Triple Cross Access Rd, which follow the higher ground or the paths of least resistance between deep draws. The terrain transitions from the headwaters of Ten Trees Creek in the north to the more deeply etched valleys of North Frenchman Coulee and Little Frenchman Coulee in the south, illustrating the subtle but significant elevation shifts that direct the flow of Timber Creek.