2017 Map of Wilde Tank

About this map

Otero Mesa defines the eastern edge of this arid landscape, where the high desert terrain transitions into the complex drainage system of Rough Canyon. In this region of Otero County, water management is the primary marker of human presence and land use, evidenced by a series of strategically placed reservoirs such as Wilde Tank, Lee Tank, and Wright Tank. These features, along with the CCC Tank, highlight the mid-twentieth-century infrastructure efforts to sustain livestock and ranching in a territory defined by ephemeral watercourses like Pendejo Wash. The map reflects a classic Public Land Survey System grid across T21S and T22S, showing a landscape largely shaped by topography and the critical necessity of water collection in the New Mexico desert.