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1996 Map of Tom Thumb

Name: 1996 Topographic Map of Tom Thumb
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 2003
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 2003

About this map

The Sauceda Mountains dominate this 1990s survey, representing a remote landscape where cultural and military boundaries meet in the Sonoran desert. The western portion of the sheet is occupied by the Barry M Goldwater Air Force Range, while the eastern half spans the Tohono O'odham Indian Reservation. These administrative designations reflect the dual-purpose nature of the mid-century western interior, where traditional lands and strategic defense airspace overlap.

Evidence of the desert's drainage system is clearly mapped through Sauceda Wash and Hickiwan Wash, which feed into the broader Hickiwan Valley. Specific landmarks such as Pistol Pass and the distinctively named Tom Thumb provide vital orientation points within the complex network of Ryans Canyon and Cougar Canyon. The boundary between Maricopa Co and Pima Co cuts across the southern edge, marking the administrative divide in this arid basin and range terrain.