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1986 Map of Tacoma Park

Name: 1986 Topographic Map of Tacoma Park
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1986
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1986

About this map

Deerlodge National Forest dominates the northern reaches of this map, where a legacy of hard-rock exploration is etched into the landscape through numerous Mine Shafts and scattered Prospects. The drainages of Tacoma Creek and Elkhorn Creek flow south toward the Boulder Valley, illustrating a classic Western mountain-to-basin transition. This 1980s landscape remains largely industrial and utilitarian, marked by a Sub Station, the Trans Line, and extensive Tailings near the central creeks.

Water management is evident in the Boulder Valley at the southern edge of the sheet, where the Murphy Ditch and other unnamed irrigation channels divert flow from the Boulder River. These features, alongside Tacoma Spring and Deadman Spring, highlight the essential role of water in both the mining and agricultural development of Jefferson County. The network of gulches, including Horse Gulch and Queen Gulch, reveals a deeply dissected terrain that challenged early mineral seekers.