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1981 Map of The Narrows

Name: 1981 Topographic Map of The Narrows
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1981
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1981

About this map

The Empire Mountains dominate the southwestern reaches of this Pima County landscape, where the rugged terrain meets the vital transportation corridors of the high desert. Historically significant mining activity is centered around the Total Wreck Mine and Hilton Mine, while the infrastructure of the Southern Pacific railroad and a major Pipeline cut through the northern flats near Mescal. This area represents a critical junction of natural resources and industrial transit, evidenced by the scattered water sources like Bootlegger Spring and Alfalfa Well that supported both ranching and railway operations.

Water management and ranching operations appear throughout the canyons, with the Flying R Ranch situated near the drainage of Pantano Wash. The namesake geographic feature, The Narrows, marks a constriction in Cienega Creek, a vital watercourse for the region's ecology. From the Pantano Substation to the edge of a U.S. Military Reservation, the map records a landscape transitioning between remote ranching outposts and modern industrial utility.