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1960 Map of Anderson Mesa

Name: 1960 Topographic Map of Anderson Mesa
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1961
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1961

About this map

Dolores River carves a serpentine path through this high-desert plateau, creating dramatic geologic features such as Muleshoe Bend and the narrow corridor of Little Gypsum Valley. The landscape is defined by vast tables like Wray Mesa and Anderson Mesa, which were centers of active mineral exploration and extraction in the mid-20th century. Uranium and vanadium mining history is evident in the presence of the Morning Star Mine, The Raven Mine, and the American Eagle Mine.

Isolated water sources were critical for both industry and ranching in this arid corner of the Colorado Plateau, with Muleshoe Bend Reservoir, Skein Spring, and East Island Mesa Spring providing essential relief. The map also records a primitive Airstrip situated on the heights of Skein Mesa, highlighting the reliance on small-aircraft transportation to reach these high-elevation mining and grazing lands located across the border of Montrose and San Miguel Counties.