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2022 Map of Redmesa

Name: 2022 Topographic Map of Redmesa
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 2022
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 2022

About this map

Redmesa and the high plains of southwestern La Plata County define this survey, where the La Plata River carves a deep path through the plateau. This landscape is a complex network of arid drainage systems, featuring named draws and hollows such as Church Hollow, Butch Henry Draw, and Mooney Draw. The settlement of Marvel sits on the eastern edge of the quadrangle, connected to the surrounding ranching and farming landscape by a grid of county roads.

Evidence of local water management is central to the area's development, seen in the Enterprise Ditch and Pioneer Ditch that follow the river's contours. To the southeast, the topography shifts with the prominent volcanic features of South Cinder Butte and the Cinder Bluffs. These geological landmarks rise above Cinder Gulch, providing a stark contrast to the agricultural flats of Red Mesa and the winding reaches of Mefford Wash and San Juan Arroyo.