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1949 Map of Malstrom Ranch

Name: 1949 Topographic Map of Malstrom Ranch
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1949
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1949

About this map

Malstrom Ranch stands as the primary namesake settlement in this high-desert region of Chaves County at the close of the 1940s. The landscape is defined by its critical water infrastructure, essential for ranching in an arid environment, including named features like Rose Bowl Tank, Douthett Tank, and Double Tank. Significant ephemeral drainage systems like Loco Draw and Long Arroyo carve through the terrain, illustrating the natural flow of seasonal runoff toward the south.

Evidence of varied land use is visible across the quadrangle, from the expansive Air Force Bombing Range (Abandoned) in the northern reaches to individual industrial markers such as an Oil Well (Aband) and a Windmill (Aband). These labels, alongside sites like Chuck Box Well and Loco Well, trace a history of both military training and the persistent effort to tap subterranean resources for livestock and industry.