2013 Map of Round Bottom

About this map

The Yampa River meanders across this landscape in northwestern Colorado, defining the valley between high plateaus and peaks. This 2013 survey records a region where cattle ranching and energy extraction intersect, evidenced by the network of rural routes like Coal Mine Rd and CO Road 30. Water management is central to life here, with Culverwell Reservoir and Ellgen Reservoir providing vital storage in a land carved by deep drainages such as Sand Spring Gulch and Ralston Draw. To the southeast, the terrain rises sharply toward the Williams Fork Mountains and Iles Mountain, while the confluence of the Williams Fork and the Yampa marks a significant hydrologic junction near Big Bottom. Local family history and land use are reflected in place names like Bell Rock and the namesake Round Bottom valley.