Vigil Network Site: Hasta Luego Draw near Billings, Montana, USA
Submitted by:
William W. Emmett
U.S. Geological Survey
Washington, D.C. 20242
Hasta Luego Draw is a small ephemeral wash, or gully, situated within a drainage area of about ten acres. This site is located on the north side of U.S. Highway 87, 18.15 miles southeast of the Yellowstone River bridge at Billings, Montana. At this distance from Billings, the highway makes a curve to the left as one drives generally southeastward. To reach the site of Hasta Luego Draw, one parks his automobile just before reaching the highway curve and walks about 200 yards northerly from the highway. The general area is included on the topographic map published by the U.S. Geological Survey entitled "Billings, Montana; Wyoming," scale 1:250,000 (part of which appears in this folder, figure 1). It is located in T. 2 S., R. 29 E. (lat. 45°41'30" N., long. 108°07'30"W.).
The general area is one of rangeland with a characteristic vegetation cover of wheatgrass (Agropyron). Even the gully walls and floor are vegetated and the gully cutting appears to have stabilized. The site was chosen for long-term observation as part of the Vigil Network to determine if this type of vegetated gully is still actively cutting or has become stable. The average elevation is about 3800 feet above sea level with about 100 feet of relief in the drainage area of Hasta Luego Draw. Precipitation averages about 13 inches per year.
At the time of preparation of this file, four field surveys had been made; July 19, 1950, July 25-27, 1962, June 7, 1963, and (scale one inch equals 100 feet, see figure 3) showing the general topography of the drainage area with emphasis on the outline of the gully proper and location of headcuts. No permanent reference points were installed during this survey.
The 1962 survey consisted of a more detailed planetable map (scale one inch equals 100 feet, see figure 2) along with the establishment of nine permanent reference points shown on figure 2. Each reference point is a four-foot length of 1/2 inch diameter steel rod driven in the ground and protruding about six inches above the ground surface. The triangulation net in table 1 will aid the observer in locating the reference points in the field. Each reference point has a metal tag affixed to it and imprinted with the description listed in table 2.
The principal measurements consist of six cross-channel land-surface profiles surveyed at locations specified in table 3 and shown on figure 2. These cross-sections were initially surveyed in 1962 and resurveyed in 1963 and 1968. Cross-section data are listed in tables 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9. In addition, a longitudinal profile of the main wash was surveyed in 1962 over a distance of 1220 feet beginning at the confluence of Hasta Luego Draw with a larger wash, and extending up to nearly the watershed divide. Additional profiles were surveyed up short distances of tributaries "A" and "B", see figure 2 for location. Profile data are listed in table 10.
The file of original field data includes both original plane-table maps, black and white and color ground photography (1962 and 1963), and low altitude aerial photography (1963). Original data is on file with William W. Emmett, U.S. Geological Survey, Washington, D.C. 20242, USA.