1970 Map of Upper Powder Spring

About this map

Powder Rim dominates this high-desert landscape along the state line, providing a massive topographical barrier between the drainage basins of the north and south. The map reveals an arid environment heavily modified by livestock and resource management, evidenced by the proliferation of earthen tanks such as Miserable Res, Haystack Res, and Last Res. Water, the defining constraint of the region, is captured in these scattered reservoirs along Skull Creek and Shell Creek, supporting a land use pattern of seasonal grazing and early energy exploration.