Loading map...

1957 Map of Opalene Gulch

Name: 1957 Topographic Map of Opalene Gulch
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1972
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1972

About this map

The Snake River flows through the high desert of southwest Idaho, carving a path between Owyhee and Canyon counties. This 1957 survey, with updates from 1971, reveals a landscape defined by complex irrigation efforts and rugged terrain. Water from the river is diverted into a network of channels including the Owyhee Canal, the Conroy Lateral, and the Deer Flat Low Line Canal, supporting small pockets of activity like Riverside and the Opalene School.

High points such as Elephant Butte and the Coyote Mountains overlook dry drainages like Opalene Gulch and Squaw Creek. The map shows a clear transition in land use, from the agricultural periphery near the Snake River to the more remote cattle-country routes like the Sommercamp Road and the I-O-N Cutoff. Inland springs, such as Coyote Spring and Upper Rats Nest Spring, provide vital water sources in an otherwise arid region punctuated by landmarks like French John Hill.