2023 Map of Bitter Creek

About this map

White Sands Missile Range dominates the eastern landscape of this Otero County corridor, reflecting the deep military footprint in the high desert. The map captures a transition between the desert floor and the drainage systems of the Sacramento Mountains, marked by the westward flow of Three Rivers and Temporal Creek. These intermittent waterways provide a window into the natural hydrology of the Tularosa Basin, while the strictly regulated road network, including WSMR P Rt 9 and WSMR 5 Rt 322, illustrates the intersection of modern defense infrastructure with the traditional Public Land Survey System grids. This 2023 survey serves as a precise record of these government-managed lands, where the landscape is defined more by restricted boundaries and natural drainage than by civilian settlement.