2010 Map of Fulcher Gulch

About this map

The intricate irrigation network of the San Luis Valley is on display in this 2010 topographic survey, where a complex system of canals and ditches redirects water across the semi-arid landscape. Engineering feats like the Monte Vista Canal and the Rio Grande and Piedra Valley Canal dominate the eastern half of the map, illustrating the region's total reliance on managed water for agriculture. Smaller, local-scale waterworks such as the Sheridan North Ditch, Resettlement Ditch, and Meadow Ditch indicate the historical division of water rights among specific land parcels and farmsteads. To the west, the terrain rises into the foothills, marked by deep drainages like Goat Ranch Gulch, Fulcher Gulch, and the prominent The Canyon. These natural features, along with Goat Ranch Spring, contrast with the rigid north-south and east-west orientation of the modern road grid, which includes S County Rd 1 E and Tenmile Rd S.