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2019 Map of Monte Vista

Name: 2019 Topographic Map of Monte Vista
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 2019
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 2019

About this map

The city of Monte Vista serves as the hub for this agricultural landscape, where an intricate network of irrigation systems like the Monte Vista Canal and the Rio Grande and Lariat Canal crisscross the valley floor. These waterways, fed by the Rio Grande, define the settlement patterns and field boundaries of Rio Grande County. The importance of local heritage is evident in the cluster of burial grounds nearby, including San Luis Valley Cem, Monte Vista Cem, and Lariat Cem, providing essential points of interest for genealogical research.

To the south and east, the terrain transitions into the protected wetlands of the Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge, a contrast to the high-desert drainages of Nicomodes Gulch and Raton Cr to the west. Small historical points like Torres and Maxeyville remain part of the rural fabric, connected by long straight stretches of road such as Gunbarrel Rd and Maxeyville Rd that trace the geometric sections of the San Luis Valley.