2011 Map of Salsbery Reservoir

About this map

Salsbery Reservoir and its namesake Salsbery Dam anchor this northern Montana landscape, where water management is the primary driver of development. The drainage patterns of Phillips County are clearly defined here by the East Fork Whitewater Creek and the meandering paths of Stinky Creek and its East Fork. The concentration of reservoirs with personal names—including Charley Reservoir, Louie Reservoir, and Schmittou Reservoir—suggests a history of individual landholdings and localized ranching infrastructure. A handful of larger catchments like Fjeldheim Reservoir and Big Reservoir further emphasize the importance of water storage in this semi-arid region. Apart from the isolated Forks Rd, the map reveals a sparsely populated terrain dominated by hydrologic engineering and seasonal drainage basins like Cottonwood Creek.