1965 Map of Sheep Coulee

About this map

The Sun Prairie Flats dominate this Phillips County landscape, illustrating a wide expanse of Montana grassland as it appeared in the mid-1960s. Surveyed by the U.S. Geological Survey as part of a development program for the Missouri River Basin, the map reveals a terrain defined by subtle drainage patterns and seasonal watercourses. The network of coulees and creeks, including Sheep Coulee and Little Sevenmile Creek, provides a clear view of the natural hydrology that shaped local ranching and land use before late-20th-century developments. Key geographic markers such as The Big Sag Flat Creek and Box Elder Coulee highlight the intricate topographical variations within the prairie. This document, later updated in the 1980s with photogrammetric revisions, remains an essential resource for understanding the rural character and landform distribution of this northern plains region.