1962 Map of Powell Butte

About this map

The Powell Buttes define this central Oregon landscape, where the high desert meets early 1960s agricultural development. Settlement is centered near the Powell Butte community and its Community Hall, with a network of local thoroughfares including Kissler Road, Riggs Road, and Alfalfa Road connecting scattered ranch sites. The map reveals the critical importance of water management in this arid region, detailing the route of the Central Oregon Canal as it traverses the plains north of the buttes. To the south, the terrain becomes more complex as the Dry River bed winds through the valley, passing near Shumway Lake. This 1962 field check documents the sophisticated irrigation infrastructure of the era, specifically identifying a Siphon and Flume used to move water across the uneven topography of the Crook and Deschutes county line.