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2011 Map of Stellar Lake

Name: 2011 Topographic Map of Stellar Lake
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 2011
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 2011

About this map

Little Porcupine Creek and Cherry Creek wind through this part of Rosebud County, defining a landscape shaped by water management and ranching. The presence of numerous small-scale water projects, including Cherry Creek Number 23 Dam, Brooks Number 2 Dam, and Twin Dam Number 1, indicates a sophisticated effort to capture runoff in this semi-arid environment. These dams and reservoirs, such as Wagner Reservoir and the namesake Stellar Lake, serve as critical infrastructure for the region's agricultural viability.

Terrain features like Russian Frank Coulee, Hoff Coulee, and Engine Draw name the drainages that channel water into the larger creek systems. The road network is sparse, consisting largely of local roads and 4WD tracks that follow the contours of the land and provide access to the various dams and reservoirs. This map documents the rural character of Montana's plains in the early 21st century, where topographic names like Stellar Lake Dam reflect the intersection of natural hydrology and human engineering.