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1951 Map of Sunken Lake

Name: 1951 Topographic Map of Sunken Lake
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1979
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1979

About this map

Jackson Reservoir dominates the southern portion of this high plains landscape in Morgan County, Colorado, where the waters of the State Recreation Area provided a stark contrast to the surrounding arid terrain. Surveyed in the early 1950s with later revisions, the map reveals a complex system of water management essential for prairie life, including the Riverside Canal and Valley Ditch.

Evidence of shifting agricultural and industrial priorities appears in the abandoned infrastructure, such as the Camden Reservoir (Aban'd) and an Oil Well (Aban'd) north of the reservoir. The local community's footprint is preserved through landmarks like the Pleasant Prairie School and the eponymous Sunken Lake, while the natural drainage of the land is defined by several intermittent watercourses, including Coal Bank Draw and the branching Cottonwood Draw.