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1952 Map of Yankee Gulch

Name: 1952 Topographic Map of Yankee Gulch
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1954
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1954

About this map

Wagonroad Ridge dominates this Rio Blanco County landscape, defining the steep drainage patterns of the Piceance Basin in the early 1950s. The area is characterized by high-elevation ranching and early energy exploration, evidenced by the Shale Test Well located south of Yankee Gulch. Small-scale agricultural operations like Reigle Ranch and Duckett Ranch are situated along the lower reaches of Ryan Gulch and Black Sulphur Creek, where water sources provided narrow corridors for settlement in an otherwise demanding environment.

Transportation follows the natural contours of the land, with the aptly named Wagonroad tracing the spine of the central ridge. A dense network of seasonal drainages, including Swizer Creek, Galloway Gulch, and the various forks of Fawn Creek, highlights the complex topography of this Colorado plateau. High points like VABM Fuzzy and YABM Boies served as critical survey markers during this mid-century topographic study, which was based on 1948 aerial photography and 1952 field checks.