Appeals court denies request to halt drilling near Chaco Canyon - The Santa Fe New Mexican: Local News October 28, 2016 by Garret Vreeland in Environmental, Ethics, History, Law, Politics The lawsuit also argues that the San Juan Basin, which stretches into southern Colorado, encompasses dozens of prehistoric Native American great houses connected by hundreds of miles of ancient ceremonial roads. While the Chaco Culture National Historical Park represents the heart of the area, the complaint states numerous archaeological sites lie well outside park boundaries.Dammit, leave Chaco alone!