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1971 Map of Ralph White Lake

Name: 1971 Topographic Map of Ralph White Lake
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1974
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1974

About this map

Yampa River bottomlands and the winding path of the Denver and Rio Grande Western railroad dominate the southern reaches of this Northwest Colorado landscape. The 1971 terrain reveals a complex network of agricultural water management, including the Wisconsin Ditch, Norvell Ditch, and Deep Cut Ditch, which redirect water across the arid high-desert draws. Settlement is sparse, represented by landmarks like Dowden Bridge on Fortification Creek.

The northern portion of the map is defined by drainage systems such as Cottonwood Gulch and Little Cottonwood Cr, leading toward the eponymous Ralph White Lake. This survey illustrates the era's reliance on creek-fed reservoirs like Leftwich Reservoir and the industrial presence of a Gravel Pit near the Moffat Co Routt Co line. The topography is a labyrinth of gulches, from Elliott Gulch to Wymore Gulch, showing how the natural hydrology of Elkhead Creek dictated early ranching and transport routes.