HARDING

county, northeastern New Mexico, U.S., bordered on the west by the Canadian River and its steep canyon. The county lies in the Great Plains, with the eastern area merging to the High Plains. Mesas, cliffs, and high hills rise from the landscape; Ute Creek flows southward through Harding county, receiving waters from Tequesquite Creek. The Kiowa National Grassland covers much of the northwest. Recreation areas include Chicosa Lake State Park. Cattle ranching followed the extirpation of the area's bison herds, and by the time the county was established in 1921, the population had reached 5,000. The county is located atop the Bravo Dome carbon dioxide gas field, which was used for the production of dry ice in the 1920s and '30s. In the early 1990s, Harding was the least populous county in the state. Cattle raising remains the basis of the economy, and Mosquero is the county seat. Area 2,125 square miles (5,505 square km). Pop. (1990) 987.