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1954 Map of Bancos Mesa NW

Name: 1954 Topographic Map of Bancos Mesa NW
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1979
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1979

About this map

The San Juan River corridor is the dominant geographic feature of this Northern New Mexico landscape, shown here during a transitional period of hydrological engineering. The 1971 revisions illustrate the Navajo Reservoir inundation zone, marked by light-purple patterns that indicate controlled water levels up to 6101 feet. This development fundamentally altered the canyons of the high desert, including Cottonwood Canyon and Bancos Cañon.

Beyond the water, the map documents the region's mid-century energy and transport infrastructure. Numerous Gas Wells are scattered across the mesas, such as Carracas Mesa and Quintana Mesa, reflecting the extraction economy of the San Juan Basin. An isolated Landing Strip and irrigation works like Mentzel Ditch highlight how residents managed the vast distances and arid climate of the New Mexico-Colorado borderlands.