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1972 Map of Signal Butte

Name: 1972 Topographic Map of Signal Butte
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1975
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1975

About this map

The waters of Fort Peck Lake dominate this 1970s landscape, illustrating the scale of the Missouri River's transformation in Garfield and Valley counties. Much of the terrain falls within the Charles M Russell National Wildlife Range, a protected expanse characterized by intricate drainage systems such as Bunn Coulee and Sheep Coulee. The presence of the Cole Ranch near the center of the sheet indicates the ongoing legacy of ranching in this sparsely populated region, where human activity is limited to remote outposts and intermittent water sources like Swallow Nest Spring.

The map reveals a deeply dissected topography leading toward the lake shore, with significant landmarks such as Signal Butte providing vertical contrast to the winding path of Crooked Creek. This survey captures the character of the Missouri Breaks region during a period of established conservation and water management, documenting the precise boundary where the high plains meet the engineered reservoir.