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1972 Map of Painted Canyon

Name: 1972 Topographic Map of Painted Canyon
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1975
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1975

About this map

The Purgatoire River meanders through this portion of Las Animas County, carving deep topographic relief into the landscape. This 1970s survey documents the complex drainage network of the high plains, where numerous arroyos and canyons such as Van Bremer Arroyo and Luning Arroyo feed into the main river channel. The winding course of the water is framed by steep elevations, most notably within Painted Canyon and along the prominent ridge known as The Hogback.

Evidence of local infrastructure and water management is visible through the presence of a Gaging Sta on the river and the Pipeline Road crossing the eastern plateau. Reliable water sources in this arid environment are identified at Jack Canyon Spring and other scattered Spring locations. The map illustrates the transition from high mesa terrain down into deep canyon bottoms, including Gutierrez Canyon and Kiowa Canyon in the southern reaches.