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2020 Map of Black Bluffs

Name: 2020 Topographic Map of Black Bluffs
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 2020
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 2020

About this map

Elephant Butte Reservoir dominates this high-desert landscape in Sierra County, defining a complex shoreline of points and coves. The impounded Rio Grande flows through The Narrows, where the water is constricted by dramatic terrain features like Mitchell Point and the White Cliffs. This 2020 survey reveals a land of significant relief, where numerous drainage systems such as Hellion Canyon and Mitchell Canyon carve toward the reservoir basin.

To the southwest, the northern outskirts of Truth Or Consequences are visible, connected to the shoreline via a network of local roads including Lakeshore Rd and Monticello Rd. The eastern shore remains more isolated, marked by the namesake Black Bluffs and Red Cliff. The mapping reflects modern land use near the water, contrasting the recreational access at Club Cove with the remote canyons like Flying Eagle Canyon and Reynolds Canyon that drain the arid uplands.