1972 Map of Timpas NE

About this map

Water management dominates this arid landscape in Otero County, as seen through the extensive presence of irrigation infrastructure like the Highline Canal and major catchments including Swink Reservoir No 1 and Prairie Land Reservoir No 1. The map documents a period of agricultural and industrial expansion, with a network of buried pipelines traversing the terrain and evidence of resource extraction at a Gravel Pit and a remote Drill Hole. The presence of a Flowing Well and the winding course of Dry Creek highlight the critical role of moisture in this section of Colorado. This topographic record illustrates how human engineering attempted to tame and utilize the natural water systems to support development in the high plains during the early 1970s.