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2013 Map of Mesa SW

Name: 2013 Topographic Map of Mesa SW
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 2013
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 2013

About this map

Pierce Ranch and several other established homesteads anchor this high-plains landscape in Chaves County, where water management is the primary driver of human settlement. The drainage patterns of Arroyo del Macho and Fifteenmile Arroyo dictate the layout of ranching operations, supported by a network of man-made water catchments like Little Burts Tank and Burts Tank.

Remote ranching life is documented through named family holdings including the J M McKnight Ranch and the W R McKnight Ranch. These sites are connected by a grid of named rural roads, such as Stargrass Rd and Chickweed Rd, which cut across deep topographical features like Burts Canyon. The map reveals the critical importance of groundwater in the region, evidenced by the location of the New Well and China Draw Well near the seasonal beds of Fourmile Draw and Roach Draw.