2011 Map of Higbee

About this map

Higbee Cemetery and the sweeping bend of the Purgatoire River define this corner of the High Plains, where the irrigation history of the Ninemile Valley is etched into the landscape. This 2011 survey illustrates the precarious water management of the region, featuring the Ninemile Canal as it skirts the bluffs of the river valley. The map documents a rugged terrain dominated by erosional arroyos and deep canyons, such as Smith Canyon and Vogel Canyon, which cut through the dry tablelands toward the primary river drainage.