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1969 Map of Bootleg Canyon

Name: 1969 Topographic Map of Bootleg Canyon
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1972
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1972

About this map

Wentz Oil and Gas Field dominates the high plains in this late 1960s survey of Pecos County, illustrating a landscape defined by petroleum extraction. The map is densely marked with infrastructure including numerous Gas Wells, Oil Wells, and several Drill Holes that pierce the plateau. Amidst this industrial activity, the cattle-ranching legacy of west Texas persists at family-owned outposts like the Louis Woodward Ranch, Fannie Woodward Ranch, and the Baker Ranch near the southern boundary.

The topography transitions sharply from the level plains into the dramatic escarpments of Big Mesa. Deep drainages like Livingston Canyon and the winding Bootleg Canyon cut through the limestone, leading toward the southern valley of Tunas Creek. A isolated Spring at the head of a canyon and a lone Water Tank provide evidence of the scarce water resources that once dictated the placement of these early ranching operations.