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1982 Map of Tres Hermanos SW

Name: 1982 Topographic Map of Tres Hermanos SW
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1982
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1982

About this map

The White Sands Missile Range dominates this 1982 orthophotomosaic, revealing the intersection of high-technology defense and the desert landscape of Otero County. This unique survey combines traditional topographic contours with aerial photography, capturing the specialized infrastructure of the Cold War era. Distinct technical installations such as the Ram Site, Rampart Site, Key Site, and Amrad Site are scattered across the terrain, indicating a landscape of active research and monitoring.

In the southeastern corner, the Jarilla Mountains rise above the desert floor, where several Prospects signify the region's mining history. The map also shows the transition between natural topography and human intervention, marked by a straight-line Pipeline and intermittent Jeep Trails. More subtle features like the North Tank and the point labeled Dover provide a layer of local naming on what is otherwise a controlled military expanse.