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1994 Map of Negro Canyon

Name: 1994 Topographic Map of Negro Canyon
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1994
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1994

About this map

Hovenweep Nat Mon anchors this corner of Montezuma County, where the high desert plateau is deeply incised by a network of drainage systems. The presence of the Cutthroat Castle Group Ruins near the head of Hovenweep Canyon highlights the archaeological significance of this landscape, marking where ancient dwellings were established among the sandstone outcrops. The terrain is dominated by Mockingbird Mesa, a wide upland separated from the McLean Basin by the dramatic drops of Cajon Canyon.

Industrial activity in the late twentieth century is evident through numerous Oil Wells and Gas Wells scattered across the mesas, particularly around the northern reaches of Negro Canyon. This energy infrastructure, including a Pumping Sta and various Drill Holes, exists alongside traditional land uses such as a Gravel Pit. The map captures a moment when resource extraction and archaeological preservation occupied the same complex system of rimrocks and washes, from Yellow Jacket Canyon to the southern reaches of Burro Canyon.