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2016 Map of Merkel West

Name: 2016 Topographic Map of Merkel West
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 2016
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 2016

About this map

The West Texas landscape around Merkel is defined by a series of dramatic elevations rising from the ranching country of Taylor County. To the west of the main settlement, Blowout Mtn and Spears Mtn create a rugged topography, while the town itself is situated along the major transit corridor that links it to the smaller communities of Blair and Trent. The drainage patterns here are complex, with Little Bitter Cr, Mulberry Cr, and Noodle Cr cutting through the terrain, illustrating the water sources that have long sustained this semi-arid region.

Local family history is rooted in the smaller sites found along the county road network, including the Rose Hill Cem on the eastern edge of the survey and the Trent Cem in the northwest. This modern survey provides a clear view of the rural-to-urban interface where the grid of Merkel meets the surrounding range land, anchored by a vast network of numbered county roads like Co RD 386 and Co RD 391.