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1995 Map of Montoya Butte

Name: 1995 Topographic Map of Montoya Butte
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1998
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1998

About this map

Cibola National Forest encompasses the majority of this high-desert terrain in Socorro County, defined by the sharp convergence of the Cuchillo Mountains and deep drainages like Alamosa Canyon. A significant historical demarcation, the Old Indian Treaty Boundary, cuts through the landscape, separating the forest lands from the adjacent canyons to the west. The presence of Ruins and a Gaging Station near the Monticello Box points to early attempts to manage the scarce water resources of Ojo Caliente Springs and the surrounding draws.

Water management is the central theme of this 1990s-era survey, as evidenced by numerous named stock tanks and wells such as Prairie Dog Tank, Boulder Tank, and Rattlesnake Well. These features, along with names like Burma Road, reflect the enduring ranching and land-use patterns of the region, where every spring and catchment serves as a vital anchor point for navigation and survival in the arid New Mexican backcountry.