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2002 Map of French Mesa

Name: 2002 Topographic Map of French Mesa
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 2003
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 2003

About this map

French Mesa dominates this high-country landscape in Rio Arriba County, where the high plateau meets the Chama River Canyon Wilderness. This 2002 revision by the USDA Forest Service highlights the intricate network of water resources vital for livestock and wildlife in the Santa Fe National Forest, including numerous catchment points such as Guadalupita Tank and Rincon Tank. The terrain transition is sharp, descending from the mesa top into the deep cut of Rincon Colorado.

Evidence of natural resource exploration appears through several marked Oil Well sites and a Drill Hole in the western reaches. Geographers and historians can trace the Sixth Standard Parallel North as it bisects the quadrangle, passing through a landscape of springs and basins like Leandro Spring and the aptly named Dry Lake. The presence of Ojo la Jara and its associated tanks, such as Upper La Jara Tank, points to the traditional importance of these scattered water sources in an arid region.