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1964 Map of Sonora NW

Name: 1964 Topographic Map of Sonora NW
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1982
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1982

About this map

Dry Devils River carves a deep path through the limestone plateau of the Edwards Plateau, crossing the boundary between Schleicher Co and Sutton Co. This 1964 topographic survey, updated in the early 1980s, reveals a landscape defined by large family holdings and early energy development. Significant ranching operations including Nixon Ranch, Jones Ranch, and the Meckel Ranch are situated among the winding draws and ridges.

The presence of the Gas Field Meckel and a network of pipelines and gas wells illustrates the post-war industrialization of the Texas Hill Country. To manage the flash-flood nature of the local drainage, a series of flood control structures—identified as Site No 2 through Site No 7—stand ready to collect runoff along the river valley, marking a significant engineering effort to stabilize this arid environment.