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1983 Map of Preston

Name: 1983 Topographic Map of Preston
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1983
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1983

About this map

Preston and the Bear Lake Valley anchor this tri-state study of the Idaho-Wyoming-Utah borderlands. The landscape is defined by the sharp verticality of the Portneuf Range and Bear River Range, which hem in the fertile corridors of Gentile Valley and Gem Valley. The Union Pacific railroad tracks trace the low ground, connecting agricultural hubs like Franklin and Dayton to the larger markets of the Intermountain West.

Water management and conservation are central themes, evidenced by the intricate Gentile Valley Canal system and the expanse of the Bear Lake National Wildlife Refuge protecting the marshes of Mud Lake. From the quiet settlements of Fish Haven and St Charles along the shores of Bear Lake to the industrial presence of a Quarry and Gravel Pit near Montpelier, the map details a region where irrigation and resource extraction sustain a network of rural communities.