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1968 Map of Tucumcari SE

Name: 1968 Topographic Map of Tucumcari SE
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1971
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1971

About this map

The arid high plains of Quay County are defined by an extensive network of irrigation infrastructure in the late 1960s. Water management dominates the landscape, where the Conchas Canal feeds a complex series of watercourses including the Conchas Elevated Lateral, Farrow Lateral, and Thomas Lateral. These engineering works were essential for sustaining life and agriculture in a region dissected by ephemeral drainage systems like Plaza Larga Creek and Barranca Creek.

Evidence of early ranching and rural life is scattered across the terrain, notably at Farrow Ranch and the remote Fife Ranch. A single Grave marked in the central portion of the sheet provides a poignant connection to the individuals who once inhabited this stretch of eastern New Mexico. The presence of a Corral and numerous fence lines further illustrates the livestock-based economy of the area during this period of the twentieth century.