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1955 Map of Sonsela Buttes

Name: 1955 Topographic Map of Sonsela Buttes
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1982
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1982

About this map

Canyon De Chelly National Monument defines the western edge of this 1955 survey, where the deep drainage of Canyon De Chelly meets the high, forested plateaus of the Navajo Indian Reservation. The map details a landscape of high-altitude water management and livestock grazing, centered around the Lower Wheatfields and Upper Wheatfields settlements. Water sources are critical here, from the established Wheatfields Lake and several Reservoirs to more isolated points like Black Salt Spring and Hidden Spring.

To the east, the dramatic elevations of the Tunitcha Mountains and Chuska Mountains are marked by steep features like the Besthnaltdaas Cliffs and Falling Iron Cliff. Local ranching history is evidenced by the Chee Dodge Ranch and scattered landmarks such as a lonely Grave and a Gaging Station on Whisky Creek. The map also traces the high border country where Apache County meets New Mexico's San Juan County near the prominent volcanic peaks of Sonsela Buttes.