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2015 Map of Poison Basin

Name: 2015 Topographic Map of Poison Basin
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 2015
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 2015

About this map

The Little Snake River valley near the Wyoming and Colorado border is defined by an intricate network of irrigation channels designed to manage water in an arid high-desert environment. A complex system of diversions including the Gibson Blair Ditch, Darr Ditch, Home Ditch, and Woodbury Ditch reveals the intensive water management required for ranching and agriculture in this corner of Carbon County. These man-made features parallel the river's course, leading into the lower elevations south of the Poison Buttes.

To the north, the landscape rises toward the Red Creek Rim and the dramatic topographic relief of Hangout Ridge. This area is dotted with small, isolated water catchments such as Adobe Reservoir, Dead Tree Reservoir, and Flat Draw Reservoir. The transition from the alluvial flats of the Poison Basin to the high ridges like South Fork Tree Draw illustrates the harsh, varied terrain that has historically challenged settlement and travel along routes like Sandcreek Rd.