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1962 Map of Bitter Lake

Name: 1962 Topographic Map of Bitter Lake
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1977
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1977

About this map

The Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge dominates the eastern landscape of this New Mexico quadrangle, where the Pecos River meanders through a network of wetlands and alkali flats. The 1962 topography, updated in the mid-1970s, reveals a complex water management system including the Hagerman Canal, Garrod Dam, and a Salt Water Conversion Plant near the banks of the Rio Hondo. This infrastructure supports an arid region defined by both natural hydrology and industrial utility.

Urban expansion from the outskirts of Roswell is visible in the southwest, featuring the Roswell Country Club and various residential streets like Second Street. Transportation corridors are well-defined by the Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe railroad and the Old Roswell Clovis Highway. Away from the river, the South Bitter Lake Oil Field indicates the subsurface economy that existed alongside local landmarks such as St Marys Cem and the small settlement at Poe.