1976 Map of Alamogordo

About this map

Alamogordo and the neighboring settlement of La Luz are captured in this mid-1970s orthophotoquad, which uses rectified aerial imagery to reveal the precise layout of the community at the base of the Sacramento Mountains. The dense grid of the city's residential and commercial districts contrasts sharply with the stark, alluvial fan topography to the east. The drainage patterns of Dry Canyon, Beeman Canyon, and Marble Canyon are visible as they cut through the steep escarpment, illustrating the geological forces that define the local geography. Produced in cooperation with the Soil Conservation Service, this imagery provides a clear look at the extent of land development and agricultural activity on the high desert plains before the expansions of the late 20th century.