2020 Map of Three Rivers

About this map

Three Rivers serves as the central hub of this desert landscape in Otero County, positioned where drainage systems from the Sacramento Mountains reach the basin floor. The terrain is defined by a network of ephemeral watercourses including Crawford Draw, Boone Draw, and the eponymous Three Rivers. For those researching local land use, the map documents critical water sources in an arid environment, such as Falls Ranch Spring, Kitty Spring, and Aguilar Spring. These natural features, alongside man-made improvements like Chosa Tank and Boone Draw Tank, illustrate the ranching infrastructure necessary to sustain livestock and settlement in the Tularosa Basin. Modern access is marked by Forest Rd 579 and Snake Tank Rd, tracing the routes through the alluvial fans and draws that characterize this transition from mountain foothills to desert flats.