1979 Map of Salt Creek

About this map

Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge anchors the lower-central portion of this Chaves County landscape, where the Pecos River carves a path through the high desert. To the west, the Dr Robert Goddard Original Rocket Tower Site stands as a unique monument to early aerospace history near the banks of Salt Creek. The terrain is defined by a dense network of drainage systems including Macho Creek, Fivemile Draw, and Huggins Draw, which feed toward the river valley. Sparse ranching settlements like Elkins and Acme are connected by U.S. 285 and the tracks of the Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad. The map captures a transitional landscape of mesas and basins, notably Railroad Mountain and Palma Mesa, dotted with critical water sources such as School Section Well and Sardine Lake.