1956 Map of Alamorio

About this map

The Alamo River snakes through this high-desert landscape in Imperial County, defining an agricultural corridor structured by an extensive grid of irrigation and drainage infrastructure. This mid-century survey reveals a highly engineered environment where water management dictated the placement of small agricultural hubs like Alamorio, Orita, and Sandia. The intricate network of canals and drains, including the Holtville Main Drain and the alphabetically ordered lateral systems such as the Oasis Lateral Drain and Pepper Lateral Drain, illustrates the systematic transformation of the desert for large-scale farming.