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2013 Map of Pounds Mesa

Name: 2013 Topographic Map of Pounds Mesa
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 2013
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 2013

About this map

Pounds Mesa rises as a central topographic feature in this Rio Arriba County landscape, where the high desert terrain of Northern New Mexico meets the southern reaches of the Santa Fe National Forest. The map documents a complex drainage system, defined by seasonal watercourses like Arroyo del Puerto Chiquito and Arroyo Archuleta that cut through the mesas. To the northwest, the land drops toward Stinking Lake and Thompson Lake, while the eastern edge is defined by the shoreline of El Vado Reservoir.

Evidence of local navigation is found in the network of routes including NM-112 and NM-95, which provide access to the small settlement at Puerto Chiquito. The naming of features such as Railroad Canyon and La Puerta Grande suggests a history of passage through these corridors. This survey provides a clear look at the Public Land Survey System grid across T27N and T28N, illustrating how township boundaries were established across the varied elevations of Apache Mesa and the surrounding canyons.