1954 Map of Public Shooting Grounds

About this map

The Bear River delta and the marshy margins of the Great Salt Lake are captured here in the mid-1950s, revealing a landscape defined by water management and migratory patterns. The Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge and Public Shooting Grounds Refuge dominate the terrain, where an intricate network of levees and embankments control the flow across the Mud Flat and Salt Flat. To the north, the path of the Old Railroad Grade cuts a straight line across the wetlands, marking the historical corridor of the transcontinental rail route before its realignment. Natural features like Connor Springs and the winding channel of Mollys Stocking provide freshwater contrast to the brackish expanse of North Bay. This map is particularly valuable for its record of early conservation infrastructure and the physical remains of the original steam-era rail infrastructure near the shores of the lake.