1964 Map of Water Canyon

About this map

The high desert drainages of Rio Blanco County are defined by a network of seasonal draws and early energy development in the mid-1960s. Douglas Creek serves as a primary north-south artery, flanked by the Douglas Pass Road and a notable industrial infrastructure including a Pipeline, several Gas Wells, and a Pumping Sta. The landscape is etched with local history through named livestock and transport routes like Big Horse Trail and the Dragon Rangely Road. Water management in this arid terrain is evidenced by several small impoundments such as Johnson Draw Reservoir and West Fourmile Reservoir, while numerous Drill Holes scattered across the draws of Water Canyon and Little Fourmile Draw signal the era's intensifying mineral exploration. A network of Jeep Trails provides the only access into the deeply dissected terrain of the Little Vandamore Draw.