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2020 Map of Curlew Lake

Name: 2020 Topographic Map of Curlew Lake
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 2020
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 2020

About this map

Arid livestock-grazing country in northern Chaves County is defined by a network of ranch infrastructure and seasonal water sources. The settlement of Boaz serves as a small hub in the northwest corner, located along a primary rail line and Prewitt Rd. Nearby, the Boaz Cem provides a genealogical touchpoint for local families. The landscape is dotted with named water tanks and wells, including Beatty Wells and Robertson Wells, which reflect the essential water management required for ranching in this environment.

Terrain features such as Railroad Mtn and the ephemeral basins of Curlew Lake and Salt Lake break up the high plains topography. A web of rural routes like White Lake Ranch Rd and Caballo Rd connects these isolated points, illustrating the sparse but organized settlement pattern of the New Mexico interior. These features, along with numerous livestock tanks like McDowell Tank and Grub Tank, document the mid-to-late 20th-century ranching footprint.