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1957 Map of Owyhee

Name: 1957 Topographic Map of Owyhee
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1964
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1964

About this map

Owyhee stands as a primary stop along the Union Pacific (Oregon Short Line), serving as a critical infrastructure point in the high desert south of Boise. This 1957 survey illustrates a landscape defined by the intersection of water management and transportation, featuring a Water Tank at the rail siding and a sparse network of irrigation infrastructure like the Ditch systems and the Blacks Creek Reservoir. The terrain is deeply incised by drainages such as Tenmile Creek, Indian Creek, and Fivemile Canyon, which dictate the placement of local roads and the Landing Field.

The presence of Pleasant Valley and various unnamed reservoirs highlights the ongoing efforts to utilize the arid land for agriculture and grazing. A prominent Pipeline and series of jeep trails underscore the transition toward industrial development and utility expansion in the mid-20th century. For historians, the map's precise placement of benchmarks like BM 2963 at Owyhee provides a tangible link to the engineering and surveying work that mapped this portion of Ada County.