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1967 Map of Vale West

Name: 1967 Topographic Map of Vale West
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1971
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1971

About this map

The Malheur River and Bully Creek dominate this landscape west of Vale, Oregon, where a complex irrigation network of canals and ditches sustained mid-century agriculture. The Union Pacific railroad tracks bisect the territory, connecting the small settlement of Hope to the regional hub. Highlighting the engineering of the high desert, the Vale Oregon Canal and Farmers Ditch draw from the river, supported by a Diversion Dam that managed water flow through the arid West Bench and East Bench plateaus.

Local landmarks like the Miller Memorial Air Park and High Sch near the town's edge reflect the community's mid-century development. In the more remote southern reaches, the terrain shifts from irrigated flats to the drainage systems of Sand Hollow and Negro Rock Canyon. Named water sources like Hickey Spring and Oil Well Spring suggest the critical importance of reliable water in the back country.