2019 Map of Mosca Pass

About this map

Mosca Pass serves as a critical topographic saddle where the Sangre de Cristo Mountains transition between the Great Sand Dunes National Park and the high plains of the Huerfano River basin. This survey documents the complex hydrology of the eastern slope, featuring several man-made water management structures including Smith Reservoir, Wilson Reservoir, and Montez Reservoir. These features, along with the Huerfano SWA, illustrate the intersection of wildlife conservation and agricultural water rights in southern Colorado. The landscape is defined by the high-elevation divide between Alamosa and Huerfano counties, anchored by Carbonate Mtn and the North Zapata Ridge. The historic Mosca Pass Trail follows the course of Mosca Cr, tracing a route that has historically connected the San Luis Valley to the eastern plains through the Rio Grande National Forest.