2012 Map of Turney Draw NW

About this map

Whitehead Ranch and Earwood Ranch anchor this arid ranching landscape in Val Verde County, characterized by the winding ephemeral paths of the Dry Devils River and Turney Draw. In this corner of Southwest Texas, water management is the primary marker of human activity. The map reveals a network of vital infrastructure including Buckley Windmill, Heifer Windmill, and Corita Windmill, reflecting the necessity of groundwater for sustaining cattle and homesteads. The terrain is bisected by the long corridor of Route 277, which provides the only major thoroughfare through the region's draws and creeks, such as Dolan Cr. This survey illustrates the spatial organization of the modern Texas ranching industry, where family-named landmarks and isolated windmills serve as the primary geographic identifiers in a vast, dry drainage system.