2013 Map of El Vado

About this map

El Vado Reservoir and the high desert canyons of Rio Arriba County define this landscape along the Rio Chama. In the early 21st century, this northern New Mexico terrain remains marked by long-standing agricultural and ranching holdings, including Archuleta Ranch, Ward Ranch, and the Wright Place. The topography is dominated by the deep incisions of Nutrias Canyon and Chama Canyon, where the drainage network of Rio Nutrias and Arroyo del Puerto Chiquito feeds into the primary river system. Transportation is concentrated on NM-112, which skirts the reservoir near the settlement of El Vado. Sections of the Santa Fe National Forest appear in the southern reaches of the quadrangle, illustrating the transition between private ranch land and managed federal territory.