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2017 Map of Cerro

Name: 2017 Topographic Map of Cerro
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 2017
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 2017

About this map

The high-altitude landscape of Taos County is defined here by the meeting of the Carson National Forest and the irrigated plains of northern New Mexico. Along the western base of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, a sophisticated network of water management features, including the Sunshine Canal, Main Lateral, and numbered ditches from Number One Ditch through Number Four Ditch, supports the agriculture of the valley. These irrigation systems are central to the history of settlements like Cerro, El Rito, and Buena Vista.

Genealogists and local historians can locate specific landmarks such as El Cerro Cem and Latir Cem, alongside family-named routes like N Quintana Rd and Jedediah Rd. The eastern half of the map rises sharply into the Taos Mountains, marked by high-altitude features like Virsylvia Peak and Cabresto Peak. This transition from the valley's Community Ditch systems to the alpine terrain of Urraca Canyon reflects the traditional land-use patterns of the Sangre de Cristo foothills.