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1985 Map of Water Pockets

Name: 1985 Topographic Map of Water Pockets
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1985
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1985

About this map

The Paria River carves a deep, winding path through the high desert of Coconino County in this mid-1980s provisional survey. The landscape is defined by massive geological formations including the Paria Plateau and Cedar Mountain, where human adaptation to the arid environment is evidenced by features like the Cedar Mountain Catchment and Bush Head Tank.

Named for the natural erosional depressions that hold precious rainwater, Water Pockets and Thousand Pockets reveal the critical landmarks used by travelers and ranchers navigating the Paria Canyon corridor. To the east, the drainage of Ferry Swale and Ferry Swale Canyon points toward historical transit routes near the river. This map captures a moment before modern recreation dominated the area, documenting the basic infrastructure of stock tanks and primitive 4WD tracks that crisscross Sand Valley and the Sand Hills.