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1980 Map of Delta

Name: 1980 Topographic Map of Delta
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1980
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1980

About this map

Delta and North Delta serve as the primary hubs of activity in this 1980 survey, where the river valleys meet the high plateau country of western Colorado. The map records a landscape heavily defined by its mining industry and high-altitude water management. Numerous active or named mining sites like the Fairview Mine, Venezia No 1 Mine, and Liberty Bell No 2 Mine are scattered across the mesas, particularly near Maverick Canyon and Sinbad Valley.

Water infrastructure is critical to this arid region, as evidenced by the Beaver Dam Reservoir and Long Mesa Reservoir tucked within the Uncompahgre National Forest. The transition from the floor of Unaweep Canyon to the massive elevations of the Uncompahgre Plateau is detailed through complex contour work, showing the relationship between the upland Pinon Mesa and the drainage systems of the Little Dolores River and its various beaver-named tributaries.