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1959 Map of Sierra Alta

Name: 1959 Topographic Map of Sierra Alta
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1986
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1986

About this map

Rio Grande waters flow through the eastern edge of this 1959 survey, where the Rincon Valley meets the high, arroyo-cut desert of northern Doa Ana County. The map documents a landscape defined by ranching and water management, featuring family-named sites such as Haynor Ranch and Kimball Place. Cattle tanks like Hurdler Tank and Brewster Tank are scattered across the broken terrain, which rises toward the peak of Sierra Alta and the volcanic prominence of Sierra Kemado.

Transportation corridors follow the valley floor, where the A T & S F RR tracks run parallel to the Rincon Lateral and various drainage works. Away from the river, the country is remote and dominated by massive drainage systems like Broad Canyon and Rock Canyon. Historic water sources such as Silva Spring and Hermantano Springs provide evidence of early land use in these arid uplands, while a small Cem near the river indicates the location of early rural burials.