1955 Map of Boulder Lake

About this map

The Continental Divide winds through this mid-century landscape of Rio Arriba County, marking the high ground between the Jicarilla Apache Indian Reservation and the Tierra Amarilla Grant. At the heart of the reservation, the Burford Lake Wildlife Station monitors the waters of Stinking Lake (Burford Lake), a significant natural feature containing Horse Island. The terrain is defined by a series of north-south canyons such as Cedar Canyon and Telephone Canyon, linked by specialized routes like the Stock Driveway and various Jeep Trails. To the east, the waters of the El Vado Reservoir gather against the grant boundary, while the southern portion of the sheet transitions into the protected lands of the Santa Fe National Forest. This mapping records the precise boundaries between tribal, private grant, and federal forest lands during a period of active resource management.