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1966 Map of Skull Mesa

Name: 1966 Topographic Map of Skull Mesa
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1968
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1968

About this map

Zurick Ranch and the nearby location of Zurick occupy the center of this high plains landscape along the border of Harding and Union Counties. The terrain is defined by dramatic erosion patterns, most notably at Shaw Brakes, where the land drops away into a complex series of draws and ridges. Water is the primary driver of settlement and navigation here, with Tramperos Creek and Pinabetes Creek carving paths through the mesas.

Evidence of local resource extraction appears in the form of a Gravel Pit and a Borrow Pit, while numerous named springs, such as Dripping Springs and various points labeled Spring, suggest the vital importance of groundwater in this arid region. The presence of a prominent Private road and the Skull Mesa landform highlight a remote, ranch-based economy typical of New Mexico's northeastern corner in the mid-1960s.