Loading map...

1978 Map of Soda Spring Coulee

Name: 1978 Topographic Map of Soda Spring Coulee
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1979
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1979

About this map

Everson Bench and Alton Bench dominate this stretch of central Montana, where high, flat tablelands are deeply incised by a complex network of seasonal drainage channels. The landscape is defined by the transition from these elevated benches to the coulees that carve through the Fergus County terrain, such as Blood Coulee and Soda Spring Coulee. The pattern of land use is distinctly agricultural, as indicated by a Storage Bin and a small Gravel Pit positioned near the rim of the coulees.

Water is the primary architect of this geography, with Coffee Creek and Wolf Creek framing the edges of the survey. The naming of local features like Soda Spring and Black Butte points to the specific geological landmarks used by residents to navigate this open country. The distribution of unimproved roads follows the contours of the benches, showing how transport and access were historically dictated by the steep drops of the coulee walls.