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1963 Map of Gage SW

Name: 1963 Topographic Map of Gage SW
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1990
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1990

About this map

The Continental Divide winds through this high-desert landscape, crossing the border between Grant County and Luna County as it was surveyed in the early 1960s. The terrain is dominated by the southeastern reach of the Cedar Mountain Range, where peaks like Sheep Mountain, Turkey Knob, and Deer Mountain rise above the surrounding flats. This is a region defined by water scarcity and ranching infrastructure, evidenced by the network of remote windmills and tanks scattered across the arid basins.

Water management is localized, with features such as Tod-Hunter Reservoir and the Palomas Draw Retention Dam No 8 capturing seasonal runoff. Named landmarks like Honeymoon Windmill, Hatcher Windmill, and Sleeper Tank highlight the essential points of human activity in an otherwise unpopulated expanse. The map documents a time when these isolated watering holes and the undulating Cedar Grove Draw were the primary markers of utility in the high Chihuahuan Desert.