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1981 Map of Wades Bar

Name: 1981 Topographic Map of Wades Bar
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1981
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1981

About this map

The Lake Bryan Snake River dominates this stretch of the Pacific Northwest, marking the boundary between Whitman and Garfield Counties. The landscape is defined by the steep canyon walls and tributary systems of the Snake River canyon, featuring prominent bars along the riverbank such as Wades Bar, Swift Bar, and Prairie Bar. These alluvial features, coupled with the rugged topography of Long Ridge and Long Hollow Ridge, illustrate the complex erosion patterns that shaped this river valley.

Surface transportation in the late twentieth century relied on local routes like Washboard Road and the Bratcher Grade, which negotiate the significant elevation changes from the river level up to the surrounding plains. Settlement is extremely sparse, represented by the small locale of Illia on the southern bank. The drainage network is dense with named features like Lynn Gulch, Willow Canyon, and Penawawa Creek, which provides water to the northern interior before reaching the river.