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1979 Map of Shoshone Ice Cave

Name: 1979 Topographic Map of Shoshone Ice Cave
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1979
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1979

About this map

Lava flows dominate this southern Idaho landscape, where the jagged volcanic terrain of Black Butte Crater gives way to complex water management systems. The Big Wood River serves as the primary artery for the region, managed through infrastructure like the Diversion Dam and an intricate network of irrigation including the Richfield Canal and Lincoln Canal. These waterways are vital for the small settlement of Burmah and the surrounding rangeland.

Subterranean features define the western portion of the sheet, most notably the Shoshone Ice Cave and several unnamed Caves within the basalt beds. The topography transitions from the high points of Dinosaur Ridge and Wedge Butte in the north to the low-lying plains marked by the Union Pacific rail line. This 1970s survey captures the intersection of prehistoric geological formations and the human engineering required to reclaim the arid high desert.