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2017 Map of Costilla

Name: 2017 Topographic Map of Costilla
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 2017
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 2017

About this map

The settlement of Costilla sits at the foot of the Taos Mountains, marking a transition between the high peaks and the irrigated valley floor along the border of Colorado and New Mexico. This landscape is defined by its complex water-management systems, featuring a dense network of gravity-fed waterways including the Acequia Madre, Cordillera Ditch, and Mesa Ditch. These traditional irrigation channels reflect generations of community agricultural practice in the high desert, distributing water from Costilla Cr to the surrounding fields.

To the west, the terrain levels out where the New Mexico Br Cerro Canal and Cerro Canal cut across the flats, while the eastern edge is dominated by steep relief. Named drainages like Cedro Canyon and Jaroso Canyon carve into the mountain front, providing critical runoff paths. Local travel is facilitated by a grid of rural routes such as Upper Plaza Rd and Mascarenas Rd, which connect the scattered homesteads of this borderland community.