1985 Map of Water Pockets

About this map

Paria Canyon cuts a deep, winding path through this corner of Northern Arizona, where the Paria River has carved into the high desert landscape. The terrain is defined by dramatic elevation changes, moving from the broad expanse of the Paria Plateau and Bush Valley down toward the Vermilion Cliffs. This 1985 survey, based on field checks from 1978, illustrates a landscape shaped by water and wind, evidenced by the numerous Sand Dunes and the curious depressions of Water Pockets and Thousand Pockets. Man-made intervention is minimal in this environment, represented primarily by 4WD tracks and the Cedar Mountain Catchment near Cedar Mountain. The presence of transmission lines, specifically the Trans Line Wooden H-Frame and steel variants, marks the few modern utility corridors traversing the canyon country during the late twentieth century.