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2020 Map of Paiute Butte

Name: 2020 Topographic Map of Paiute Butte
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 2020
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 2020

About this map

Paiute Butte rises as a central landmark in this high-desert region of Harney County, where the landscape is defined by its seasonal hydrology and volcanic topography. The area is marked by numerous ephemeral water bodies, including China Lake, Papoose Lake, and Evening Lake, which serve as critical drainage points across the sagebrush-covered terrain. These features, along with Yellowstone Lake and the Lone Tree Reservoir, illustrate the water management and natural collection basins essential to livestock ranching and wildlife in the Oregon desert.

Transportation through this territory is facilitated by a network of unimproved roads such as Placidia Butte Rd and Squaw Butte Rd, which trace the contours of the land. The presence of Big Stick Cr and the corresponding Big Stick Rd highlights the importance of the few existing drainage channels in an otherwise arid environment. This 2020 data captures the land as it is currently managed by the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, reflecting modern land-use patterns in the Oregon backcountry.