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1983 Map of Smith Creek Butte

Name: 1983 Topographic Map of Smith Creek Butte
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1984
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1984

About this map

The Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument and Gifford Pinchot National Forest dominate this 1983 survey, documenting the landscape in the immediate aftermath of the 1980 eruption. The map serves as a primary source for the event's environmental impact, explicitly marking the Eruption Impact Line and vast areas of Blowdown where the lateral blast leveled the standing timber. These forensic details contrast with the enduring terrain of Smith Creek Butte and the rugged drainage systems of the Muddy River and Clearwater Creek.

Hydrographic features like Paradise Falls and Crane Lake are depicted alongside remnants of recreation and land use, such as the Jackpine Shelter and a Borrow Pit. The transition from the volcanic monument boundary to the national forest provides a specific look at how administrative lines were drawn over the transformed topography. Significant geographic landmarks including Ape Canyon and Bean Creek are precisely mapped, offering researchers a detailed record of the area's recovery phase during the early 1980s.