Loading map...

1961 Map of Mesa Portales

Name: 1961 Topographic Map of Mesa Portales
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1963
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1963

About this map

Mesa Portales and Mesa Chijuila dominate this high-desert landscape in Sandoval County, revealing a terrain defined by dramatic escarpments and seasonal watercourses. Mapped in the early 1960s, the area shows a reliance on scattered water sources such as Ojo de Gutierrez, Smoky Spring, and Moreno Spring. These springs and ojos, or "eyes" of water, are critical landmarks in the arid expanse of the San Isidro Valley, where travel and settlement historically followed the reliable flow of the canyons.

The northeastern corner includes a portion of the Santa Fe National Forest, while the rest of the sheet is crisscrossed by an intricate drainage system including the Arroyo Chijuilla and Cañada de la Kinaya. The absence of developed towns emphasizes the pastoral and resource-based character of this New Mexico back-country during this period, focusing instead on named landmarks like Rock Mesa and Mesa de Cuba.