1954 Map of Big Mesa

About this map

The Gunnison River corridor in Colorado underwent a massive transformation between its 1950 mapping and 1982 revisions, dominated by the filling of the Blue Mesa Reservoir. This map documents the resulting landscape within the Curecanti National Recreation Area, where rising waters reshaped the valley floor. To the south, the massive landform of Big Mesa towers over the drainage systems of Pole Creek and Cebolla Creek. Evidence of earlier land use remains visible through the Shaw Ranch and the small settlement of Hierro in the northeast. For those interested in the area's resource history, a Prospect is noted in the central hills, while landmarks like Blaine Rock and Big Springs provide fixed points amidst the changing hydrology. The map also highlights the recreational shift of the era at the Iola (Campground) site along the northern shoreline.