Loading map...

1949 Map of Roc Creek

Name: 1949 Topographic Map of Roc Creek
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1949
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1949

About this map

The United States Atomic Energy Commission and the Geological Survey co-published this study of the canyonlands along the Mesa and Montrose County line during a period of intense interest in radioactive minerals. The terrain is dominated by the Dolores River and the deeply incised drainage of Roc Creek, which cuts through the La Sal National Forest. Evidence of the region’s specialized mining history is found in labels for the Radium Cycle Mine, Rajah Mine, and Sunrise Mine, connected by primitive routes like the Radium Trail.

Settlement is sparse in this landscape of high plateaus and isolated basins. The Paradox Valley floor in the south shows a concentrated network of irrigation ditches and the local Paradox Sch, contrasting with the high, uninhabited reaches of Sewemup Mesa and Sinbad Ridge. This survey documents a critical era of Western mineral exploration when the remote outcrops of Carpenter Ridge were being systematically evaluated for their strategic resources.