2023 Map of Lumley Lake

About this map

White Sands Missile Range dominates this arid landscape at the border of Sierra and Doña Ana counties. The terrain is defined by its extreme alkalinity and sparse water sources, centered on the vast Alkali Flat and the gypsum dunes of White Sands. This environment creates a distinctive hydrographic pattern where seasonal or intermittent water features like Big Salt Lake and Salt Creek punctuate the desert floor. Human activity is almost entirely restricted to military infrastructure, indicated by restricted access roads such as WSMR P Route 6 and WSMR S Route 304. Small, isolated water points like Alkali Spring and the C C C Tank provide the only biological relief in a high-desert basin managed for defense testing and environmental preservation.