2017 Map of Columbus NE

About this map

Seventysix Draw cuts through this high desert portion of Luna County, defining the drainage patterns of an arid landscape. The map reveals the critical infrastructure of ranching and remote travel in the region, centered on water management features like Buena Vista Tank and Oney Tank. These tanks, essential for livestock in the Chihuahuan Desert, sit amidst a sparse network of county roads and named tracks including Dust Devil Rd and Whirlwind Rd. The grid of the Public Land Survey System is prominently overlaid across the terrain, marking the boundaries of several townships including t27s r7w and t28s r8w. This 2017 study illustrates the intersection of modern cartography and the enduring reality of southwestern land use, where named roads like San Juan and Co Rd B005 navigate the expansive, sparsely populated flats north of the border region.