2012 Map of Star Valley Ridge West

About this map

The Little Owyhee River defines the drainage pattern of this high desert terrain in Elko County, where seasonal and perennial waters converge in a network of remote basins. This 2012 survey shows the convergence of Raven Creek and Lake Creek as they feed into the Little Owyhee River, a critical water system for this arid region. The landscape is punctuated by distinct geological formations, most notably the Indian Buttes and the solitary profile of Nadine Butte to the south. Human interaction with the landscape is marked by the presence of the Lake Creek Reservoir, which captures runoff in an area otherwise dominated by the natural flow of Willow Creek in the northwest corner. This map serves as a precise record of the hydrologic and topographic features of the Great Basin at the start of the 21st century.