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1964 Map of Yellowtail Dam

Name: 1964 Topographic Map of Yellowtail Dam
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1983
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1983

About this map

Yellowtail Dam and its powerhouse anchor this 1964 survey of the Big Horn area, capturing the early landscape of the Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area just as federal water projects reshaped the region. The map documents the impoundment of Bighorn Lake, where the Bighorn Canyon is shown at its normal pool elevation of 3640 feet. The settlement of Fort Smith stands near the Yellowtail Afterbay Dam, providing a clear look at the infrastructure of the Missouri River Basin project.

Historical continuity is evident at the Fort Smith Ruins and the Wilcott Ranch, while the Crow Indian Reservation Boundary marks the eastern edge of the canyon floor. The map also traces the Big Horn Canal as it draws from the Bighorn River, illustrating the irrigation network essential to this part of Montana. From the heights of War Man Mtn to the depths of Box Canyon, the sheet preserves a distinct period of transition between frontier history and modern reclamation engineering.