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1955 Map of Owl Ridge

Name: 1955 Topographic Map of Owl Ridge
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1957
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1957

About this map

Illinois Ranch and Overton Ranch anchor this mid-1950s survey of Jackson County, showcasing an intricate network of irrigation and water management vital to high-altitude agriculture. The landscape is defined by the Illinois River and its tributaries, including Willow Creek and Indian Creek, which are tapped by numerous named ditches such as the Pioneer Ditch and Midland Ditch. These man-made channels highlight the effort to move water from the Thirty one Reservoir and Rand Reservoir across the valleys.

Local landmarks such as Owl Ridge and Owl Mountain provide a dramatic vertical backdrop to the flatter grazing lands occupied by the Burr Ranch and Vils Ranch. The presence of Gravel Pits and various spillways, like Spillway 8471, underscores the era's focus on rural infrastructure development. This map captures the region during the Missouri River Basin development program, documenting a specific era of hydrology and land use before later modernizations.