2017 Map of Sierra Alta

About this map

The Rio Grande cuts through the northeastern corner of this landscape, framed by the intensive water management systems of the Rincon Valley. A heavy River Levee and man-made channels like the Rincon Drain and Tonuco Drain reflect the agricultural engineering necessary to tame the river's floodplains. Near the Tonuco Bridge, the terrain rises sharply from the valley floor into the high desert, where a network of dry washes including Reed Arroyo, Bignell Arroyo, and Hersey Arroyo drain the surrounding uplands.