1966 Map of Moncisco Wash

About this map

Bisti Oil Field dominates this high-desert landscape in San Juan County, revealing the industrial footprint of petroleum exploration during the mid-1960s. The terrain is characterized by broad erosional features like Moncisco Mesa and the drainage of Moncisco Wash, which cuts across the northern reaches of the sheet. Surveyed by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and the Geological Survey, the map documents a network of extraction infrastructure including numerous Oil Wells, a solitary Radio Tower, and an extensive Pipeline system. In the southern half of the quadrangle, the elevation drops at Black Hill, while isolated water sources like Jeters Lake provide rare landmarks in an otherwise arid expanse. This survey captures the region just as energy development was intensifying, providing a clear record of the specific drill sites and access tracks that defined the local economy.