1983 Map of Upper Wheatfields

About this map

The Navajo Indian Reservation land of the early 1980s is defined by its dramatic high-country water sources and mountain terrain, straddling the high border between Arizona and New Mexico. The Wheatfields Lake reservoir serves as a central hub for the area, fed by the seasonal flows of Wheatfields Creek as it descends from the Tunitcha Mountains. This landscape is marked by remote landmarks such as Teddy Chee Spring and Horse Spring, which were vital for sheep herding and local subsistence in this part of Apache County. The map details the transition from the pine-covered heights of the Lukachukai Mountains down to the broken geography of Palisade Cliffs and Falling Iron. Cultural traces are sparse but significant, including a small Cem near the southeastern edge and various borrow pits that indicate the maintenance of the region's unimproved road network.