Loading map...

1973 Map of Paduca Breaks East

Name: 1973 Topographic Map of Paduca Breaks East
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1976
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1976

About this map

The Salado Draw Oil Field and El Mar Oil Field dominate this desert landscape straddling the New Mexico-Texas border in the early 1970s. Industrial development is heavy throughout the terrain, marked by a dense network of drill holes, pipelines, and gas wells that intersect the arid topography. The map reveals the critical infrastructure of the era's energy sector, including various gravel pits and a jeep trail that provided access to the remote drilling sites.

Water management in this parched environment is evidenced by a series of named stock tanks and catchment basins such as Penn Tank, Needmore Tank, and West Dinwiddie Tank. The natural geography is defined by the Red Hills and the dramatic drop of the Paduca Breaks, while the broad expanse of Rattlesnake Flat sits to the southeast. This survey provides an exact record of the resource extraction footprint across Lea and Loving counties during a period of active expansion.