1996 Map of Columbus SE

About this map

Puerto Palomas and Columbus sit along the international border in this mid-1990s survey of the high desert between New Mexico and Chihuahua. The landscape is defined by the rigid grid of the public land survey system meeting the open basins and plateaus of Mexico, including the broad Llano Los Acebuches. Human activity is primarily centered on the transit through the border and the extraction of water in an arid environment, evidenced by scattered points like Dean Well, Stiles Reservoir, and the O'Bryan Windmill. North of the boundary, a corporate boundary and Gravel Pits indicate local industry, while south of the line, settlements like Nuevo Horizonte and La Brecha are established near natural landmarks like Tres Ojos and the Ruinas Indias. The presence of a Canal and various tanks underscores the critical importance of water management for these borderland communities.