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2013 Map of Big Mesa

Name: 2013 Topographic Map of Big Mesa
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 2013
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 2013

About this map

Blue Mesa Reservoir dominates the northern reaches of this Gunnison County landscape, where the waters of the Gunnison River are impounded within the Curecanti National Recreation Area. The terrain south of the reservoir rises toward the prominent flat-topped Big Mesa, a landform defined by a network of drainage systems including Willow Cr and Pole Cr.

Evidence of ranching and early land use is scattered throughout the high country, from Shaw Ranch in the southwest to the site of Big Springs. The map reveals a transition from the water-managed recreation zones of the north to the rugged, high-elevation plateaus where Blaine Rock stands as a distinctive landmark. This documentation captures the area's modern infrastructure, including Co RD 31 and other rural routes that provide access to the remote mesas and creek valleys.