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1988 Map of Otter Chain Ponds

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

USGS Topo · Published 1988

About this map

Sunkhaze Meadows and a sprawling network of wetlands dominate this 1988 survey of central Penobscot County. The landscape is defined by the winding course of Sunkhaze Stream and the Otter Chain Ponds, which flow through a series of large boggy basins including No 16 Swamp and Island Swamp. Human settlement is minimal, concentrated primarily around the town of Bradley in the southwest and scattered dwellings along the roads near Greenfield in the northeast.

Upland features like Baker Hill and Haynes Ridge provide relief amidst the saturated lowlands. The drainage pattern is complex, with numerous tributaries such as Birch Stream, Baker Brook, and Great Works Stream feeding the primary waterways. This map captures a quintessential Maine backcountry environment, characterized by limited road access and an economy likely centered on timber and seasonal recreation during the late twentieth century.