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2020 Map of Yellowtail Dam

Name: 2020 Topographic Map of Yellowtail Dam
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 2020
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 2020

About this map

Fort Smith serves as the primary hub in this Big Horn County landscape, situated where the Bighorn River emerges from its dramatic canyon. The massive engineering of the Yellowtail Dam creates the expansive Bighorn Lake, which dominates the central topography and provides the foundation for the Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area. This modern infrastructure contrasts with the historic path of the Bozeman Trl, which traces through the eastern hills, marking an era of overland migration that predates the valley's industrial transformation.

Water management is the defining theme here, visible in the complex network of the Big Horn Canal and various specialized routes like the Yellowtail Dam Road and Roads Behind Maintenance. The terrain is characterized by deep incisions such as Box Canyon and Black Canyon, while heights like War Man Mtn overlook the transition from river gorge to irrigated plains. Local aviation and utility features, including the Fort Smith Landing Strip and numerous remote springs, illustrate the logistical requirements of maintaining this remote recreation and power-generation site.