2023 Map of Three Rivers SW

About this map

The White Sands Missile Range dominates this portion of the Otero County landscape, indicating the significant military presence and controlled access that characterizes this region. The terrain is marked by a network of public land survey sections, including t11s r8e and t12s r8e, which provide a formal grid over the arid basin. Surface water features are sparse and vital, represented by remote watering points such as Lower Steer Pasture Tank in the northeast and Sand Tank further south. These catchments suggest the historical and ongoing use of the land for livestock management within a high-desert environment, even as it serves modern defense purposes. The lack of traditional townsites or infrastructure highlights the isolation of this corner of New Mexico, where the landscape is defined more by administrative boundaries and essential water resources than by permanent settlement.