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2001 Map of Mirage

Name: 2001 Topographic Map of Mirage
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 2005
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 2005

About this map

Water management dominates the landscape of the San Luis Valley on this sheet, where an intricate network of irrigation channels like the Wales Shellabarger Ditch, Niedhardt Ditch, and Peterson Ditch No 1 divert flow from the mountain streams. These human-made waterways intersect the natural drainage of Cotton Creek and Rito Alto Creek as they descend from the eastern peaks. The small community of Mirage serves as a central point for the surrounding ranches, supported by the Mirage Cem and the nearby Rito Alto Ch.

To the east, the terrain rises sharply into the Rio Grande National Forest and the protected Sangre De Cristo Wilderness. Here, the land transitions from agricultural valley floor to steep drainages such as Marshall Gulch and Cedar Gulch. Traces of early industrial activity are preserved in the mountainside Mines and a valley Gravel Pit, marking the intersection of resource extraction and high-altitude ranching.