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2010 Map of The Divide

Name: 2010 Topographic Map of The Divide
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 2010
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 2010

About this map

The Divide characterizes this high-desert landscape in Lea County, serving as a subtle topographical boundary between the surrounding basins. In 2010, the area is defined by its industrial activity and cattle-rearing infrastructure, most notably the Hat Mesa Gas Field situated in the northeast. The reliance on managed water sources in this arid environment is evident through a network of named livestock tanks, including Rockbottom Tank, Lost Tank, and Red Tank.

Transport through this part of the Chihuahuan Desert follows the Delaware Basin Rd, which cuts across the terrain near the San Simon Swale and Bilbrey Basin. The presence of Hat Mesa provides one of the few prominent landforms in a region otherwise marked by wide, open swales and basins. This map captures the intersection of traditional ranching and modern energy extraction just as the Permian Basin was seeing renewed industrial focus.