1982 Map of Thorn Well

About this map

Water management dominates this arid landscape in Doña Ana County, where scattered tanks and wells provide essential infrastructure for ranching and exploration. The orthophotomosaic base reveals the sparse vegetation and wind-scoured terrain typical of the region in the early 1980s. Key water sources like Caliche Tank and Thorn Well serve as central landmarks in an area primarily defined by section lines and the New Mexico Principal Meridian. Evidence of resource prospecting is visible through multiple locations identified simply as Drill Hole or Drill Hole South Well, scattered across the desert floor. The network of transportation is rudimentary, consisting largely of a Jeep Trail that navigates the basins between low rises, connecting remote points such as Lake Tank and Detroit Tank. This survey reflects the persistence of traditional land use in a region where survival is tied directly to these man-made catchments and deep wells.