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1952 Map of Parker Lake

Name: 1952 Topographic Map of Parker Lake
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1952
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1952

About this map

The Fort Bliss Military Reservation dominates this 1952 topographic study of the Tularosa Basin, where desert survival depended heavily on a network of man-made water catchments. The landscape is dotted with essential ranching and military infrastructure such as Borden Tank, Haystack Tanks, and Old Bennett Tank, indicating the area's history as grazing land prior to and during its military designation. To the southwest, the nascent development of White Sands appears alongside specialized infrastructure like a Sewerage disposal plant and Towers.

High ground is marked by the volcanic profile of Black Mountain and Antelope Hill, providing contrast to the basin floor's intermittent hydrology. Traces of earlier occupancy remain at Hall Ranch, while the namesake Parker Lake and the Drift Fence Well illustrate the long-standing efforts to manage water in this arid environment. The map also records industrial activity in the form of a Quarry located north of the primary military roads.