2019 Map of Hickey Bridge

About this map

The northern reaches of the San Luis Valley are defined by an intricate network of waterways and irrigation infrastructure, as shown in this 2019 survey of Saguache County. The landscape is split between the elevated McIntyre Ridge to the north and the low-lying wetlands fed by Saguache Cr and its northern branch. Human engineering is visible through long-standing water management features like the Taylor Ashley Ditch and the Rio Grande Canal, which traverse the flat valley floor to support local agriculture. The eponymous Hickey Bridge provides a vital crossing point over the N Br Saguache Cr amidst a grid of county roads. These labeled channels and named gulches, such as De Tilla Gulch and Proffit Gulch, reveal the historical reliance on water diversion in this high-altitude basin.