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1972 Map of Sheep Canyon

Name: 1972 Topographic Map of Sheep Canyon
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1976
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1976

About this map

Timpas Creek carves through the high plains of southern Colorado in this early 1970s survey, marking a landscape where vital water sources define human activity. The legendary Santa Fe Trail follows the creek's corridor, paralleled by the Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe railroad, illustrating the long-standing transit route through the Iron Springs Hills. The map reveal a ranching economy dependent on a network of remote water infrastructure, including family-named landmarks like Hoffman Windmill, Mullins Windmill, and Lees Windmill.

Crossing the boundary between Otero and Las Animas counties, the terrain shifts into the broken draws of Hoe Ranch Arroyo and the deeper cuts of Bent Canyon. Remote outposts and livestock improvements, such as Kennedy Ponds and the Rourke Reservoir, are scattered throughout this arid landscape, connected by tracks like Red Rock Road. The prominence of named springs such as Lone Tree Springs underscores the precarious but essential nature of water for survival in these canyons.