1982 Map of Tres Hermanos

About this map

Tres Hermanos rises from the desert floor in this early 1980s topographical study of the Otero County landscape. The area is defined by its arid geography and the strategic presence of the Fort Bliss Military Reservation (Mc Gregor Range) which occupies the eastern edge of the quadrangle. Distinctive volcanic features like Twin Buttes and Lone Butte provide topographic relief against a series of scattered catchments including Squaw Tank, North Tank, and Desert Tank. These water features indicate the managed nature of this dry rangeland during the late twentieth century. Industry and infrastructure are represented by the Southern Pacific railroad line skirting the military boundary, alongside localized operations such as a Gravel Pit and a mining Prospect. This map captures a specific moment in the Chihuahuan Desert where military expansion, transportation, and natural landforms intersect.