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2011 Map of Alire

Name: 2011 Topographic Map of Alire
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 2011
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 2011

About this map

Alire and its surrounding ranchlands sit at the heart of this high-desert landscape in Rio Arriba County, defined by a critical network of water sources in an arid environment. The map details a cattle-ranching economy reliant on numerous tanks and springs, such as English Tanks, Salazar Tank, and Parrot Spring. These water features are essential for sustaining operations at Hines Ranch, Berryman Ranch, and Brand Ranch, which are connected by a web of Forest Service roads including FR 144 and FR 145.

The terrain is deeply incised by drainages like Rio Cebolla and Arroyo Blanco, which cut through the prominent Mesa de los Viejos. Canyons such as Joaquin Canyon and Daggett Canyon illustrate the complex topography that early settlers and ranchers navigated. This survey provides a precise look at the rural infrastructure of Northern New Mexico, showing how access roads like County RD-b303 navigate the natural breaks in the land.