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1961 Map of El Dado Mesa

Name: 1961 Topographic Map of El Dado Mesa
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1963
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1963

About this map

The high plateau of El Dado Mesa dominates this 1961 field-checked survey of McKinley County, New Mexico. Part of the Cibola National Forest, the landscape is defined by its numerous lagunas and ephemeral water sources, such as Ojo del Dado and Ojo de las Yeguas. The terrain shifts from the mesa's flat expanse into the deep incisions of Cañon del Dado and the rising peaks of the Cerros de Alejandro.

A notable geological and hydrologic transition occurs in the south, where the prominent Laguna Grande and Laguna de Alejandro sit near the high elevations of Grande Ridge. The map also documents the Grant Boundary, illustrating historic land division patterns in the region. Scattered tanks like Heller Tank and Pine Grove Tank indicate the vital importance of water management in this arid grazing and forest landscape.