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2010 Map of Playas Lake North

Name: 2010 Topographic Map of Playas Lake North
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 2010
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 2010

About this map

Playas Lake dominates the southern basin of this high-desert quadrangle, anchoring the Playas Valley between the arid rises of the Little Hatchett Mountains and Howells Ridge. The settlement of Playas stands as the primary hub of activity, supported by the Playas Air Strip and a grid of access roads including Smelter Rd and Playas Blvd.

Evidence of the area's ranching and industrial legacy is scattered throughout the landscape, from the northern Diamond A Ranch to the Cherrys Mines tucked into the Coyote Hills. The mapping of named ranching sites like White Place and isolated infrastructure like the Windmill settlement provides researchers with specific points of reference for tracing rural land use and desert habitation in Hidalgo County during the early 21st century.