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2017 Map of French Mesa

Name: 2017 Topographic Map of French Mesa
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 2017
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 2017

About this map

Llaves sits at the northwestern edge of this high-altitude landscape, where the high desert transitions into the protected woodlands of the Santa Fe National Forest. The geography is defined by the massive uplift of French Mesa and the drainage network of the Rio Gallina, which cuts through the terrain alongside numerous named canyons like Cañon de Chavez and Cañada de la Cueva.

A network of water management features, including Leandro Spring and dozens of livestock tanks such as Guadalupita Tank and La Jara Tank, indicates the vital importance of water rights and ranching in this part of Rio Arriba County. Remote roads like French Mesa Rd and Mesa Alta Rd provide the primary access to these highlands, tracing the ridges above Arroyo Blanco and the prominent Cerro Blanco.