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1986 Map of Saunders Draw

Name: 1986 Topographic Map of Saunders Draw
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1986
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1986

About this map

Intermittent drainage systems define this section of Navajo County, as recorded in the early 1980s. The landscape is characterized by prominent erosional features like Saunders Draw, Marshall Draw, and Porter Draw, which channel seasonal water across the high desert. Man-made water management is critical in this arid environment, evidenced by the strategic placement of stock tanks and reservoirs such as Rattlesnake Tank and White Tank in the northern reaches, and the Midway Tank to the south.

Industrial infrastructure is sparse but present, notably at the Gas Line Tank, which suggests the presence of utility corridors crossing the region. This 1986 provisional survey documents a transition in mapping techniques, utilizing 1980 aerial photography to capture the remote desert topography. The distribution of features like the Upper Porter Tank and Lower Powerline Tank indicates how ranching and energy needs shaped the use of this isolated terrain during the late twentieth century.