2020 Map of Playas Lake South

About this map

Playas Valley defines this arid landscape in New Mexico, where the ephemeral Playas Lake sits at the center of a wide interior drainage basin. This 2020 survey captures the basin's hydrology and industrial infrastructure at the transition between Grant Co and Hidalgo County. The desert floor is marked by vital water points like Whitmire Spring and the drainage of Rough Cr, while the edges of the quadrangle are framed by the rising elevations of the Little Hatchet Mountains to the northeast and the Animas Mountains to the southwest. Human activity is evidenced by the presence of Smelter Rd and Gravel Pit Rd, indicating the persistent connection between the valley floor and nearby industrial or mining operations. The topography of Bull Canyon further illustrates the complex drainage patterns that feed into the central dry lake bed during rare desert rain events.