2020 Map of Brazos

About this map

Chama and the surrounding high-country valley of Rio Arriba County are defined by the convergence of the Rio Chamita and Rio Chama. This 2020 topographic survey illustrates the transition from the relatively flat valley floor, where the Chama Land & Cattle Company Airport and small settlements like Dos Lomas are located, into the complex canyon systems of the eastern mountains. A network of county roads, including Co RD 343 and Co RD 341, provides access to the foothills where narrow drainages such as Cañonizaria Canyon and Nestor Canyon cut into the uplift. The map highlights the localized settlement patterns near Brazos and Casa Escondida, showing how habitation follows the life-giving water of the main river channels before the terrain ascends into the steep, dramatic walls of the Cañones Box.