Loading map...

1949 Map of Davis Mesa

Name: 1949 Topographic Map of Davis Mesa
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1949
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1949

About this map

The Dolores River carves through this corner of Montrose County, where the United States Atomic Energy Commission and the USGS collaborated to document a landscape defined by uranium and vanadium extraction. The eastern portion of the map is dominated by a dense cluster of claims including the Tramp No 2 Mine, Vanadate Mine, and Coloradium Mine. These workings follow the geological contours above the Paradox Valley, connected by the winding Long Park Road.

Topography transitions from the broad Davis Mesa and Martin Mesa down into deep incisions like Hieroglyphic Canyon and Wild Steer Canyon. Strategic infrastructure for the mining operations and local livestock is sparse but critical, evidenced by the Gaging Sta and a Water Tank near West Paradox Creek. The survey, completed just after the war, captures the intense industrial focus on these mesas during the early Cold War uranium boom.