1951 Map of Split Rock NW

About this map

The Sweetwater R winds through the northeast corner of this high-desert landscape, a vital water source in the arid cattle country of central Wyoming. This 1951 survey, updated in the 1980s, reveals a complex drainage network where the Cottonwood Creek system fans out across the terrain. From the heights of Green Mountain and the Owl Hills in the south, the Middle Cottonwood Creek and its eastern and western forks flow northward toward the plains. The map is a testament to the essential infrastructure of ranching, dotted with numerous Windmill sites and irrigation features like the Beaton Ditch. These marks of human effort are set against the backdrop of geological landmarks like the eponymous Split Rock, providing a detailed look at how the land was utilized for grazing in the mid-20th century.