1986 Map of Tenmile Rim

About this map

The Continental Divide cuts a winding path through this high-desert landscape in Sweetwater County, marking the definitive hydraulic break of the American West. This 1980s era survey by the U.S. Geological Survey documents a stark, arid terrain defined by significant geographic breaks like the Tenmile Rim. The drainage patterns here are critical to understanding the local topography, with the seasonal waters of Twelvemile Gulch and Ninemile Wash carving out the land as they head toward the Tenmile Draw. Apart from the township boundaries of T 22 N and T 21 N, the area remains largely undeveloped, showcasing the raw geological character of the Great Divide Basin before modern expansion changed the regional footprint.