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1985 Map of Thompson Mesa

Name: 1985 Topographic Map of Thompson Mesa
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1985
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1985

About this map

The energy-rich landscape of the San Juan Basin is documented in this mid-1980s provisional study, dominated by the expansive high plateaus of Thompson Mesa and Selph Mesa. This high-altitude terrain is marked by numerous gas wells and specialized industrial infrastructure across several Gas Field zones. The map captures the complex network of access roads and a significant Pipeline cutting across the desert topography, illustrating the region's late-20th-century development as a critical energy producer.

Erosion has carved deep, naming-worthy drainages into the mesa edges, including Selph Canyon and Crow Canyon, which feed toward the broad Blanco Wash to the west. Along the eastern edge, the survey marks the administrative divide between San Juan and Rio Arriba counties. Notable landmarks such as Dufers Point and Blanco Mesa provide essential orientation points within this intricate system of canyons and ridges.