1953 Map of Arroyo Del Agua

About this map

Arroyo del Agua sits at the confluence of several drainages in Rio Arriba County, serving as a focal point for settlement in this high-altitude landscape during the early 1950s. The map illustrates a rural society organized around expansive tablelands and narrow valleys, where the Rio Puerco and Poleo Creek provided vital water sources. High on the mesas, the community established local institutions to serve scattered residents, including the Mesa Poleo School and the Mesa Pinabetal School. Religious life centered on the Santa Teresa Church, located near the intersection of several unimproved roads and a jeep trail. The terrain is marked by named features that reflect both Spanish and local heritage, such as Ca%C3%B1oncito de los Cordovas and Cordovas Spring, showing how family names became fixed to the physical geography of the Santa Fe National Forest.