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2022 Map of Negro Canyon

Name: 2022 Topographic Map of Negro Canyon
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 2022
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 2022

About this map

Hovenweep National Monument anchors the western edge of this Montezuma County landscape, preserving a unique archaeological record within the high desert environment of southwestern Colorado. The terrain is defined by a series of parallel drainage systems, including Yellow Jacket Canyon and Sandstone Canyon, which cut deep through the expansive Mockingbird Mesa. These canyons represent a critical historical watershed that supported ancestral inhabitants, evidenced by the proximity of the monument and named landmarks like Cajon Mesa.

The map reveals a network of rural access routes such as RD 10 and Co RD Y that traverse the plateaus between deep cuts like Negro Canyon and Hovenweep Canyon. The presence of Cross Canyon Spring in the northwest corner highlights the importance of localized water sources in this arid region. This modern survey provides a detailed view of the Public Land Survey System (PLSS) grid, showing the section lines of Township 37 North and 36 North as they overlay the intricate topography of McLean Basin and Burro Canyon.