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1971 Map of Chafin Well

Name: 1971 Topographic Map of Chafin Well
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1985
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1985

About this map

Navajo Indian Reservation lands meet the Zuni Indian Reservation in this 1971 survey of the high desert borderlands. The map reveals a remote landscape where water is the primary arbiter of human activity and survival. Named features are largely centered on vital water sources, such as Chafin Well, C H Begaye Well, and the ironically named Good Luck Spring. These points of interest, connected by a network of Jeep Trails, served as essential landmarks for residents and travelers in the early 1970s.

The topography is defined by significant drainage systems, including the Whitewater Arroyo and Hardscrabble Wash, which carve through the high-elevation terrain. The presence of a Water Tank near the southwestern boundary further emphasizes the importance of livestock and resource management in this arid region. For genealogists and historians of the Southwest, the map provides a precise record of named family wells and geographic markers like Crafton and Tolapai Draw at the confluence of Apache County and McKinley County along the Arizona-New Mexico state line.