2017 Map of Penasco

About this map

The Sangre de Cristo Mountains define the high-altitude landscape of this northern New Mexico region, where communal irrigation systems and traditional land grants shape the valley settlements. The complex network of acequias, such as the Acequia Madre de Santa Barbara and Acequia Monte, illustrates a centuries-old agricultural tradition that sustains the villages of Peñasco, Rodarte, and Chamisal. This system of gravity-fed water channels remains central to the local economy and social structure, diverting water from the Rio Pueblo and Rio Chiquito to small-scale farm plots.