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1979 Map of Phone Line Canyon

Name: 1979 Topographic Map of Phone Line Canyon
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1984
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1984

About this map

Arid basin and range topography characterizes this 1970s survey along the El Paso Co Hudspeth Co border. The landscape is defined by its deep drainages, including Powwow Canyon and the eponymous Phone Line Canyon, which cut through the steep southern Mountains. Water management in this high-desert environment is represented by a network of catchments and tanks, such as Phone Line Tank, Sheep Tank, and Cactus Tank, which were essential for supporting ranching and local operations.

Evidence of human activity is clustered around limited infrastructure, with a Pipeline and Jeep Trail crossing the northern terrain. Notable points of interest include Dagger Camp near Dagger Tank and a Gravel Pit located centrally on the sheet. This map provides a clear record of the intersection between harsh physical geography and the systems devised to navigate and utilize it during the late twentieth century.