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1963 Map of Otero Store

Name: 1963 Topographic Map of Otero Store
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1979
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1979

About this map

The Jicarilla Apache Indian Reservation encompasses this high desert landscape in Rio Arriba County, where the topography is defined by the broad Lapis Valley and the smaller Navajo Valley. The mid-20th-century economy of the region is visible through the scattered Oil Wells and a prominent Pipeline that cuts across the terrain. Central to the local geography are the landmarks of Otero and the Otero Store, which serve as primary reference points within the reservation's vast borders.

Drainage systems like Cañada Larga and the steep-walled Cañon de los Ojitos provide natural breaks in the mesas, including the prominent Wild Horse Mesa to the north. This survey, based on aerial photography from the late 1950s and early 1960s, reveals a quiet but active natural resource landscape, where the ruggedness of Burro Canyon meets the industrial footprint of the San Juan Basin gas field.