1986 Map of Winnett South

About this map

Flatwillow Creek and Alkali Creek dominate the southern landscape of this Central Montana survey, where water dictates the patterns of ranching and land use in Petroleum County. The map documents a critical hydrologic network as it stood in the mid-1980s, anchored by Petrolia Lake in the northeast. This area, located south of the town of Winnett, shows a rugged topography marked by the confluence of Yellow Water Creek and Mc Donald Creek. These drainages have historically defined the boundaries of grazing lands and travel corridors in this high plains region. The presence of numerous wells throughout the quadrangle reflects the importance of sub-surface resources and stock water in an arid environment. Researchers of Montana’s agricultural and petroleum history can trace the detailed township lines, such as the division between T 14 N and T 13 N, which continue to define property and mineral rights today.