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1990 Map of West of Empire

Name: 1990 Topographic Map of West of Empire
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1990
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1990

About this map

The Black Rock Desert dominates the eastern landscape of this 1990 provisional survey, where the arid basin meets the eastern slopes of the Fox Range. This region of Washoe County reflects a rugged, high-desert environment defined by seasonal hydrology and resource exploration. Scattered across the alluvial fans and playa margins are evidence of human activity, including a solitary Windmill and a marked Prospect, indicating the persistent search for minerals or water in an unforgiving climate.

Water management is traced through ephemeral drainages like Cottonwood Creek and Willow Creek, which flow toward the flat expanse of the Dry Lake bed. The map reveals a transition from the steep elevation changes of the mountains to the vast, open alkaline flats. These manuscript-based details provide a precise record of the land as it appeared in the late twentieth century, capturing the intersection of natural topography and remote western land use.