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2013 Map of Black Bluffs

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

USGS Topo · Published 2013

About this map

Elephant Butte Reservoir dominates this Sierra County landscape, where the waters of the Rio Grande are channeled through The Narrows. This modern survey illustrates the complex shoreline and surrounding canyonlands, marked by prominent geological features like Black Bluffs, White Cliffs, and Red Cliff. The mapping of points such as North Monticello Point and Three Sisters Point reveals the high-water geography of this critical New Mexico waterway.

Evidence of ranching and remote infrastructure appears in the western highlands, including Elkins Ranch and the Chavez Windmill. The terrain is deeply dissected by a network of drainage systems, such as Hellion Canyon, Monticello Canyon, and Flying Eagle Canyon, which feed into the reservoir basin. A network of primitive roads, including Lakeshore Rd and Monticello Rd, provides the primary access to these remote reaches of the Rio Grande valley.