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1981 Map of Broken Back Crater

Name: 1981 Topographic Map of Broken Back Crater
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1987
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1987

About this map

Broken Back Crater dominates this volcanic landscape along the border of Socorro and Lincoln Counties, rising above the lava flows of The Malpais. The map documents a sparsely populated ranching and military corridor in the early 1980s, where survival is tied to a network of named livestock tanks such as Hidden Water Hole Tank, Hobbs Tanks, and Marcos Tank. To the north, Upper Ranch and Black Hills Ranch mark the limited human settlements in a terrain carved by Lobo Canyon and Hidden Canyon.

The southern reaches of the quadrangle are occupied by the White Sands Missile Range, illustrating the intersection of traditional land use and federal military activity. Transportation is confined to rudimentary routes like Iron Mine Road, while industrial activity is represented by localized Gravel Pits. The topography here is defined by drainage patterns like Walker Draw and Sereno Draw, which channel seasonal water through the volcanic flats.