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1983 Map of French Mesa

Name: 1983 Topographic Map of French Mesa
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1983
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1983

About this map

Santa Fe National Forest encompasses the dramatic uplift of French Mesa in this northern New Mexico landscape as recorded in the early 1980s. The topography is defined by sharp elevation changes between the mesa top and the drainage networks of Rio Gallina and Arroyo Blanco. The importance of water in this arid environment is signaled by the inclusion of vital water sources such as Leandro Spring and Ojo la Jara, alongside the seasonal Dry Lake.

Geographical features like Cerro Blanco and Cañon de Chavez illustrate the complex erosion patterns typical of the Rio Arriba region. The map details a network of canyons and arroyos, including Cañada de la Cueva and Cañada de la Tableta, which historically dictated travel routes and settlement possibilities in the high desert. This provisional survey captures the transition of the land before modern recreational development intensified in the forest.