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1982 Map of Tenmile Ranch

Name: 1982 Topographic Map of Tenmile Ranch
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1983
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1983

About this map

Tenmile Ranch sits at the heart of this high-desert landscape in Malheur County, where the management of water defines every human imprint. Compiled from 1979 aerial photography, the map reveals an intricate network of infrastructure designed to capture and move seasonal runoff through arid terrain. A series of private and named water sources like Bankofier Reservoir, Chest Canyon Reservoir, and Albisu Reservoir are connected by a system of aqueducts and ditches, illustrating the ranching economy's reliance on these engineered lifelines.

To the south, near the border of the Old Military Reservation Boundary, the small settlement of Mc Dermitt and the Mc Dermitt State Airport provide a remote point of connection. The terrain is marked by prominent ridges like the Hot Spring Hills and deep cuts such as Little Louise Canyon. Geologists and historians can trace the varied landscape from the seasonal flow of Twomile Creek to the isolated Wood Spring, highlighting the survival strategies of this eastern Oregon borderland.