1966 Map of East Of Great Bend

About this map

The Navajo Indian Reservation landscape is defined by the winding course of the Chaco River as it carves through the arid high desert of San Juan County. This 1965 aerial compilation captures a transition in the land, where traditional water sources like a lone Well near the riverbank exist alongside the emerging industrial infrastructure of a Pipeline cutting across the southeastern topography. The terrain is marked by sharp elevation changes and dry washes, including Indian Cr, reflecting the complex drainage patterns of this high-plateau environment before modern development further altered the surface. It provides a distinct view of the land as it was managed and utilized in the mid-1960s, documenting the geography of the reservation at a scale that highlights the isolation of its water features and the paths of its few unimproved roads.