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2011 Map of Anderson Mesa

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

USGS Topo · Published 2011

About this map

The Dolores River carves a winding path through this corner of Montrose County, defining a landscape of high mesas and deep drainage basins. High-elevation features like Buck Mesa, Anderson Mesa, and Island Mesa overlook a complex network of canyons and washes, including Coyote Wash and Spring Canyon. The southern portion of the map is dominated by the Little Gypsum Valley, where numerous uranium and vanadium mining operations are concentrated.

Mining history is the primary footprint of human activity here, with dozens of named claims such as the American Eagle Mine, Morning Star Mine, and Big Medicine Mine scattered across the plateaus. Transportation is limited to rugged routes like jj8 RD and z1 RD, which once served these remote industrial sites. Natural water sources are scarce, making landmarks like Muleshoe Bend Reservoir and East Island Mesa Spring critical points of interest in this arid environment.