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1971 Map of Dagger Flat

Name: 1971 Topographic Map of Dagger Flat
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1973
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1973

About this map

Sierra Del Carmen and the Sierra Del Caballo Muerto dominate this Chihuahuan Desert landscape, marking the transition between public conservation lands and managed wildlife zones in the early 1970s. The map illustrates the topographic complexity of Big Bend National Park as it meets the Black Gap Wildlife Management Area, with the sprawling Dagger Flat serving as a central basin between the heights of Dagger Mountain and the eastern ridges.

Water management and resource extraction leave their marks on this arid terrain, seen in the isolated Dagger Tank and a noted Prospect in the southeastern foothills. Connectivity is limited to the Dagger Flat Road and various Jeep Trails that navigate the drainage of Nine Point Draw. This survey provides a record of the park's eastern boundary before modern infrastructure changes, preserving the original paths and landmarks used by early surveyors and park visitors.