Loading map...

2001 Map of Pinon Ranch

Name: 2001 Topographic Map of Pinon Ranch
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 2003
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 2003

About this map

Piñon Ranch and a network of family-held ranchlands define this high-altitude landscape along the border of Chaves and Otero counties. The map captures an arid environment managed for livestock, where water infrastructure like Woods Tank, Hooten Tank, and Crim Tank are critical markers of survival and territory. These man-made tanks, along with Piñon Well and South Well, serve as the primary hubs for activity in a region otherwise dominated by dramatic geographic features like Lewis Canyon and the Collins Hills.

To the east, the boundary of the Lincoln National Forest introduces a shift in land management, including the West Cow Water Storage Tank and Big Chief Water Storage Tanks. The presence of the Fourth Standard Parallel South and various pipelines underscores the methodical surveying and resource extraction that shaped this part of New Mexico. Small outposts like Bullis Spring Ranch and Tanner Ranch illustrate the enduring presence of remote homesteading in the high desert.