1955 Map of Mc Intosh Ranch

About this map

Mc Intosh Ranch and the isolated Spady Cow Camp anchor this mid-century look at the hydraulic landscape of Bent County. The area is defined by a sophisticated system of water management, centered on the Adobe Creek Reservoir and the Fort Lyon Storage Canal. The map reveals the intricate network of irrigation and water transport required for high-plains agriculture, including the Lewis Ranch Ditch and the Horse Creek Inlet. Evidence of changing land use is visible at the Landing Field (Aband) near the Fort Lyon Canal Road. This survey, compiled from 1947 aerial photography and 1955 field work, provides a precise record of the engineering structures like the Horse Creek Reservoir Dam (Lewis Ranch) and various spillways that dictated the economy and settlement patterns of this arid Colorado terrain.