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1995 Map of El Valle

Name: 1995 Topographic Map of El Valle
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1997
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1997

About this map

El Valle and its intricate water management system anchor the landscape of northern New Mexico in the mid-1990s. The village is defined by gravity-fed irrigation channels like the Acequia de Abajo de El Valle and Acequia de la Plaza, which draw from the Rio de las Trampas to support local agriculture. This network reflects a centuries-old tradition of communal water rights essential to life in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains.

The surrounding terrain is divided among historic land grants, including the Las Trampas Grant and the Santa Barbara Grant. Family-held lands such as Tafoya Ranch and Martinez Ranch sit at the edges of the Carson National Forest, while the southern high country transitions into the Pecos Wilderness. High-altitude features like Jicarilla Peak and San Leonardo Lakes crown the southern reaches, marking the divide between Rio Arriba and Santa Fe counties.