1953 Map of Cochiti Dam

About this map

Rio Grande canyon lands and ancestral land grants define this high-altitude landscape between the Jemez Mountains and the river. The canyon-cut plateaus of the Bandelier National Monument and Bandelier Wilderness dominate the northern terrain, featuring landmarks such as the Painted Cave and St Peters Dome. The map illustrates the complex overlapping jurisdictions of the Pueblo de Cochiti Grant, Cañada de Cochiti Grant, and La Majada Grant, reflecting the region's deep history of settlement and territorial division. The 1990s-era purple updates show the significant footprint of the Cochiti Dam and the resulting Cochiti Lake, which altered the drainage patterns of the Cochiti Rio and created new shorelines for the Cochiti Recreation Area. Evidence of past industry persists in canyon bottoms at Bland and via scattered prospects in the western reaches.