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2010 Map of Grandfalls

Name: 2010 Topographic Map of Grandfalls
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 2010
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 2010

About this map

The settlement of Grandfalls and the smaller community of Royalty anchor this arid Ward County landscape, where the survival of the local economy is tied to the management of water and oil. Irrigation is the defining human imprint on the terrain, visible through an intricate network of waterways including the Grandfalls Canal, Van Carr Canal, and North Lateral. These systems draw from the Pecos River, which meanders across the southern portion of the sheet toward the Imperial Reservoir.

Industry and local history are marked by the presence of the Shipley Oil Field to the north and the Payton Oil Field to the southwest, illustrating the region's reliance on mineral extraction. For genealogists and local historians, the Tamarisk Cemetery stands as a focal point for tracing early residents near the town. The technical infrastructure of the Imperial Dam and various canals, such as the Cut Around Canal and Imperial Canal, reveal the complex engineering required to sustain agriculture in this part of West Texas.