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1981 Map of Three Rivers NW

Name: 1981 Topographic Map of Three Rivers NW
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1982
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1982

About this map

The Malpais dominates this landscape, showing the stark intersection of volcanic geology and mid-century military infrastructure. This orthophotomap, based on early 1970s aerial photography, reveals the dark, irregular texture of Lava flows as they spill across the basin toward the Phillips Hills. The vast majority of the terrain falls within the White Sands Missile Range, a restricted area where remote technical installations like the Oscura Range Center and the D B Site Radio Tower were established far from civilian settlements.

Water sources are scarce and highly localized, consisting primarily of isolated improvements such as Gilliland Well, Coon Well, and the Dog Town Tank. These features, along with the Upper Steer Pasture Tank, represent the surviving markers of ranching activity in a region largely repurposed for defense testing. A remote Landing Strip near the northern boundary further illustrates the logistical demands of managing this austere high-desert environment during the late Cold War era.