1969 Map of Pine Ridge

About this map

Pine Ridge extends through this high-desert portion of Moffat County, where a complex network of seasonal drainages and resource extraction sites defines the 1960s landscape. This era of mapping captured the area just as energy exploration and range management intensified, evidenced by the presence of a Drill Hole and a localized Gravel Pit. The topography is dominated by dramatic elevation changes, notably at Sevenmile Hill and along the winding course of Big Gulch. Water remains a central element of the landscape's utility, with Sand Spring and Bogenschutz Creek providing critical points of reference in a largely arid environment. Researchers of regional geography will find interest in the precise surveying of the Sand Spring Gulch drainage system, which illustrates the natural erosion patterns of the Colorado plateau before modern large-scale development altered the local water table.