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2015 Map of Wardel Reservoir

Name: 2015 Topographic Map of Wardel Reservoir
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 2015
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 2015

About this map

Wardel Reservoir and a sophisticated network of irrigation infrastructure define this corner of Big Horn County. In this high plains landscape, the management of water is evident through the named channels of the Fairview Canal, Fairview Extension Ditch, and Sandstone Ditch. These man-made features work alongside natural drainages like Dorsey Cr and Fifteenmile Cr to sustain the region's agricultural viability.

Land management history is reflected in the naming of specific improvements, such as the First Enlargement Fairview Extension Reservoir and the Albert Wardel Reservoir Enlargement. These labels provide insight into the iterative development of local water rights and storage capacity. The terrain transitions from the managed water systems in the north to the more dissected badlands of the south, where Elk Cr and Corral Cr carve through the landscape.