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1960 Map of Hamm Canyon

Name: 1960 Topographic Map of Hamm Canyon
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1979
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1979

About this map

The Dolores River winds through the western edge of this San Miguel County landscape, defining a region of intense geologic transition and mineral exploration. In the mid-century era, the terrain between Gypsum Valley and Disappointment Valley was a hub of mining activity, with numerous sites such as the Chile No 5 Mine, Mexico Mines, and the Maggie No 2 Mine scattered across the ridges. The extraction economy is further evidenced by a prominent Pipeline and several Oil Wells located near Hamm Canyon.

Remote infrastructure serves the area's isolation, notably a lonely Airstrip situated near Nicholas Wash. Drainage patterns are dictated by the deep incisions of Big Gypsum Creek and Disappointment Creek, while the prominent landform at Cape Horn overlooks the river's bend. This topographic survey documents the footprint of the uranium and fossil fuel industries before modern consolidation changed the character of the Colorado high desert.