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1940 Map of Bassett Lake

Name: 1940 Topographic Map of Bassett Lake
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1954
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1954

About this map

The high desert along the New Mexico Texas border is defined here by the essential infrastructure of ranching and water management in a semi-arid landscape. Surveyed in 1940, the terrain is dominated by the Hueco Mountains in the southwest and an extensive network of artificial tanks and natural draws designed to capture seasonal runoff. These features, such as Camaleche Tanks, Tinney Tank, and Red Top Tanks, illustrate the reliance on water storage for livestock in the expansive range country of Otero and Hudspeth counties.

Human activity is concentrated at isolated outposts like Foster Ranch and Hilltop House, connected by rugged tracks through the desert. The landscape is carved by drainage systems like Castner Draw and Shiloh Draw, which lead toward the ephemeral basin of Bassett Lake. This survey provides a precise record of the borderlands before modern development, detailing the specific named landmarks and water sources used by generations of ranchers in this border region.