1948 Map of Sugar Valley

About this map

The Bruneau River corridor defines this 1948 landscape, where early post-war irrigation infrastructure begins to transform the arid Owyhee County terrain. The river flows through the eastern portion of the sheet, feeding a network of gravity-fed water systems including the Buckaroo Ditch, South Side Canal, and Beeroth Canal. These channels indicate the agricultural push into the valley flats during the mid-20th century. To the west, the topography rises sharply from Sugar Valley toward the high ground of Horse Hill, which dominates the southern quadrangle. Small-scale water sources like Sugar Creek and several Artesian Wells are noted, providing vital points of reference for land use in this desert environment. The map also records the Blackstone Gr Cr at the southeastern boundary, capturing the intersection of natural drainage and man-made irrigation before modern development.