2010 Map of Wilde Tank

About this map

Otero Mesa defines this expansive landscape in Otero County, where the desert floor is marked by a series of vital water catchments. These artificial reservoirs, including Wilde Tank, CCC Tank, Lee Tank, and Wright Tank, reveal the area's ongoing use for ranching and livestock management in an arid environment. The terrain is further shaped by drainage features such as Pendejo Wash and the winding course of Rough Canyon, which provide the primary relief in an otherwise high-desert plain. The presence of the namesake CCC Tank points to historical federal land improvement projects that have persisted as functional infrastructure into the 21st century. This survey records a remote segment of New Mexico where the survival of cattle depended on these dispersed water sources and the network of unpaved roads connecting them.