2011 Map of Cuchara

About this map

The Cucharas River valley in Huerfano County is defined by its complex irrigation infrastructure and vertical topography, anchored by the settlement of Cuchara. This 2011 survey illustrates the elaborate network of water management essential to this high-altitude landscape, including the Spanish Peaks Ditch, Butte Ditch, and Dyer DITCH. These systems feed numerous storage bodies like the La Veta Town Reservoir and the H R Carson Reservoir Number 1. Historical mining activity is marked by the Spanish Peaks Mine, Wonder Mine, and Linscott Mine, scattered among dramatic landforms like Goemmer Butte and Kruger Mountain. The map also captures several named canyons, such as Echo Canyon and Cottonwood Canyon, alongside distinctive rock formations like Profile Rock and Sawtooth Rock, which served as important landmarks for early travelers and surveyors in the Sangre de Cristo foothills.