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2019 Map of Cortez

Name: 2019 Topographic Map of Cortez
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 2019
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 2019

About this map

Cortez serves as the focal point of this Montezuma County landscape, anchored by the Montezuma County Courthouse and the nearby Cortez Cem. The transition from the structured grid of the city to the complex topography of the south is marked by agricultural water management systems like the Rocky Ford Ditch and Highline Ditch. These irrigation features supported the local economy as the land rises toward the North Rim.

The southern portion of the quadrangle is dominated by the deeply incised canyons of Mesa Verde National Park, including West Fork Navajo Canyon and East Fork Rock Canyon. The geography here is defined by high plateaus such as Wetherill Mesa and Long Mesa, which are separated by narrow drainage systems. This 2019 survey documents the modern intersection of a developed regional hub and one of the nation's most significant archaeological and natural landscapes.