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2013 Map of Rael Spring

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

USGS Topo · Published 2013

About this map

The Tularosa Mountains dominate the western half of this Catron County landscape, while the eastern portion opens into the expansive Plains of San Agustin. Much of the area is managed within the Gila National Forest, a terrain defined by deep drainages such as Sawmill Canyon and Long Canyon. The infrastructure here is sparse, centered on the Bursum Rd corridor and cattle-rearing needs.

Water management is a central feature of this high-desert environment, evidenced by numerous man-made catchments like Dark Canyon Tank, Musick Tank, and Dry Lake Tank. Near the center of the sheet, the Rael Ranch Horse Pasture Airport sits at the transition from the mountain foothills to the plains, providing a vital landing strip for this remote ranching region. The presence of Rael Spring and various family-named features suggests the enduring legacy of local ranching operations in this part of New Mexico.