1987 Map of Sugarloaf Basin

About this map

Currant Creek Ranch and the isolated settlement of Lowe anchor this 1980s landscape in Sweetwater County. The terrain is defined by the sweeping depression of Sugarloaf Basin, bounded to the east by the rising elevation of Creek Ridge and to the south by the drainage of Washam Wash. Water management in this arid environment is evident through features like Sugarloaf Reservoir and the extensive wetlands of Sugarloaf Marsh. The map illustrates a ranching and rural economy where seasonal water sources and topographic barriers dictate the placement of homesteads and unimproved roads. Tracing the path of Currant Creek reveals the vital connection between natural drainages and the few established ranching outposts in the high desert of southwestern Wyoming.