1988 Map of West of Quitobaquito Springs

About this map

The United States-Mexico international border bisects this landscape, creating a stark cartographic division between the desert terrain of Pima Co, Arizona, and the state of Sonora, Mexico. Much of the northern territory is dedicated to conservation and military use, primarily within the Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge and the southern reaches of the Luke Air Force Range. This 1988 provisional survey captures a vast, arid environment where the ephemeral waters of the Sonoyta River loop south of the boundary. The map provides an important record of the borderlands just before the turn of the 21st century, showing how federal land designations shaped the development—or lack thereof—along this remote stretch of the frontier.