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1991 Map of Turn

Name: 1991 Topographic Map of Turn
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1996
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1996

About this map

Large Spanish land grants define the geography of the Middle Rio Grande Valley, where the Tome Grant, Belen Grant, and Casa Colorada Grant converge. The landscape is a study in water management and transportation history, featuring the intricate network of the Sabinal Ditch and the Old Jarales Riverside Drain alongside the Rio Grande. This complex irrigation system supported small agricultural outposts and rail stops like Madrone and Bodega situated along the Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe railroad line.

Transportation infrastructure extends beyond the rails to the sky, marked by Airway Beacon No 20 and a designated Landing Strip. In the southern reaches, the Valencia Co Socorro Co line crosses the Abo Arroyo, illustrating the transition from the river valley's floodplains to the higher, arid basins of the high desert. Settlement clusters such as Turn and Belenbeck represent the sparse but persistent human footprint in this region of New Mexico.