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1962 Map of San Carlos Reservoir

Name: 1962 Topographic Map of San Carlos Reservoir
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1971
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1971

About this map

The San Carlos Reservoir serves as the focal point of this 1962 field-checked survey, where the Gila River and San Carlos River converge within the San Carlos Indian Reservation. The landscape is a complex network of arid washes and draws, including Apache Wash and Chittakow Draw, leading into the high elevations of the Santa Teresa Mountains. Historical human activity is visible through an Indian Cemetery near the reservoir and several mining operations tucked into the canyons, such as the Starlight Mine and Copper Reef Mine.

Evidence of ranching and territorial management is scattered across the terrain, marked by the Sanders Rangeline Cabin and U B Rangeline Cabin. Along the northern banks of the Gila, an old RR grade follows the river toward Dewey Flat, illustrating the early transportation infrastructure that once connected these remote sections of Graham and Gila counties. The presence of numerous named water sources like Double Troughs Spring and Packwood Springs highlights the critical importance of water management in this high-desert environment.