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2020 Map of La Mesa

Name: 2020 Topographic Map of La Mesa
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 2020
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 2020

About this map

La Mesa and Chamberino anchor this portion of the Mesilla Valley, where the agricultural landscape is defined by an intricate network of irrigation. The Rio Grande serves as the primary artery for this system, feeding a dense web of waterways including the La Union Main Canal, the West Side Canal, and the Chamberino Main Lateral. This modern survey illustrates how water management dictates the settlement patterns and road grids of Doña Ana County, with dozens of laterals and drains like the Three Saints Lateral and Mesquite Drain threading through the valley floor.

Genealogists will find local history preserved at the San Jose Cem in the north and San Luis Cem near Chamberino. The eastern edge of the map transitions into the protected landscape of the Organ Mountains -Desert Peaks National Monument, while small clusters like El Ojito mark the southern reach of the study area. This detailed accounting of rural infrastructure reveals the persistent reliance on river-fed agriculture in the high desert.