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1955 Map of Sonsela Buttes

Name: 1955 Topographic Map of Sonsela Buttes
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1959
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1959

About this map

Sonsela Buttes rise prominently from the high-altitude landscape of the Navajo Indian Reservation along the Arizona-New Mexico border. This mid-1950s survey documents a network of seasonal washes and alpine springs, including the distinctive Black Salt Spring and Hidden Spring. The high country is defined by the Tunitcha Mountains and the dramatic drop-offs of the Palisade Cliffs and Beshthalthaa Cliffs.

Settlement patterns center on the agricultural and ranching areas of Lower Wheatfields and the Chee Dodge Ranch, illustrating the intersection of traditional land use and federal designations like the Canyon De Chelly National Monument. A intricate water system is visible through features like the Upper Wheatfields reservoir and Wheatfields Lake, supporting life across the high valleys and the expansive Red Valley to the southeast.