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1965 Map of Dry Lakes

Name: 1965 Topographic Map of Dry Lakes
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1982
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1982

About this map

Dry Lakes dominate this San Luis Valley landscape, appearing as a network of shallow basins and ephemeral water bodies within the Alamosa region. This 1965 survey, updated in the early 1980s, reveals a terrain defined by high-altitude hydrologic management, characterized by numerous Flowing Wells scattered across the basin floor. These wells suggest a reliance on artesian water sources to support the area's sparse infrastructure.

Linear transit and irrigation patterns are established by Central Lateral Lane and Fourmile Road, which cut through the flat geography south of the encroaching Sand Dunes. The map’s purple revisions from a 1979 aerial study highlight shifts in woodland cover and vegetation, offering a rare look at environmental changes in this specialized desert-wetland ecosystem before modern shifts in water table management.