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2013 Map of Alamosa East

Name: 2013 Topographic Map of Alamosa East
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 2013
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 2013

About this map

Alamosa East and the eastern edge of Alamosa are defined by an intricate network of water management systems designed to navigate the high-desert landscape. The hydrology is dominated by the Rio Grande and Alamosa River, supplemented by numerous man-made channels including the Costilla Canal, Excelsior Ditch, and Empire Lateral. These irrigation features reflect the region's agricultural reliance on surface water, with secondary ditches like Maddux Ditch and Waverly Drain Ditch crisscrossing the flats between the rivers.

The town grid transitions into more specialized land uses south of the central core, where the San Luis Valley Regional Airport/Bergman Field occupies a significant footprint. Near the river bends, the Alamosa Municipal Cemetery serves as a local landmark, while the terrain rises toward Hansen Bluff in the southeast. This survey illustrates how human infrastructure, from the roads of the San Luis Valley to the Adams Overflow Ditch, has been etched into the natural drainage basins of the San Luis Valley.