1953 Map of Medanales

Rising above the river valley is the expansive Llano De Juan Jose, a high mesa dissected by numerous seasonal drainages including Arroyo de Agua and Cañada de Lemitas. To the north, the terrain climbs toward the Carson National Forest boundary, marked by landmarks such as Lagunitas. The map documents a traditional rural economy where water access dictated the placement of every windmill and tank in an environment dominated by naming conventions of the Spanish colonial land grant system.