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1962 Map of Palisade

Name: 1962 Topographic Map of Palisade
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1972
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1972

About this map

Palisade occupies the fertile bend of the Colorado River, where a complex irrigation network including the Government High Line Canal, Price Ditch, and Western Canal turned the arid valley into a productive agricultural center. The town's economy in the early 1960s was clearly defined by this balance of water management and industrial extraction, as seen in the concentration of coal works like the Mt Lincoln Mine and Midwest Mine along the northern bluffs.

The rugged terrain of Grand Mesa and the Grand Mesa National Forest dominates the eastern half of the sheet, providing a sharp contrast to the developed corridors of Orchard Mesa. Transportation is anchored by the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad, which parallels the river. Remote landmarks such as the Taylor Sch and various mountain reservoirs like Cabin Reservoir and Guild Reservoir suggest the dispersed nature of early ranching and utility infrastructure in the high desert.