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1963 Map of Bixler Ranch

Name: 1963 Topographic Map of Bixler Ranch
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1973
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1973

About this map

Chicoso Ridge dominates this Rio Arriba County landscape, where the high-country canyons of the Carson National Forest meet the western boundary of the Jicarilla Apache Indian Reservation. The 1963 survey reveals a sparsely populated terrain defined by ranching and the emerging energy sector, with Gas Wells and a prominent Pipeline cutting through the mesas. Small family-named locales like Ulibarri and Bixler Ranch are tucked into the drainages of Ulibarri Canyon and Augustine Canyon, reflecting a long history of high-altitude habitation.

Notable geological formations are clearly marked, including the striking Hole in the rock Dike and broad plateaus such as American Mesa and Mesteñas Mesa. Water sources are critical in this environment, as evidenced by the presence of Preacher Tank, Mud Spring, and the seasonal Bancos Lake. These features, along with isolated sites like Vaqueros Cabin, provide a detailed account of the region's land use before later development altered the remote character of these canyonlands.