Loading map...

1953 Map of Alire

Name: 1953 Topographic Map of Alire
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1985
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1985

About this map

Alire stands as a small focal point in this high-elevation landscape of Rio Arriba County, where the high mesa breaks into deep canyons. This survey, primarily based on 1951 aerial photography with 1970s revisions, illustrates a land managed for water and timber within the Carson National Forest. The presence of a Cem near the settlement indicates the long-standing community roots in an area defined by seasonal water sources like Garcia Tank, Trujillo Tank, and the perennial flows of Rio Cebolla.

Drainage patterns are dominated by the Arroyo Blanco and Cañon de los Tanques, which carve through the Mesa terrain. Notable landmarks including the Micro Wave Station and a Windmill suggest the modernization of this remote territory, while traditional features like Parrot Spring and Iron Spring remain vital markers of the underlying hydrology. The map's detail provides a clear view of the Forest Boundary and the network of unimproved roads that connected these isolated New Mexican outposts in the mid-20th century.