1987 Map of Alcatraz Island

About this map

Clayton Valley and its industrial mineral landscape dominate this 1987 survey, where expansive Evaporator Ponds indicate the active brine processing central to this part of Esmeralda County. The desert terrain is marked by distinctive features such as Alcatraz Island and Angel Island, which rise from the dry lake bed. Resource extraction is a primary theme of the era, evidenced by numerous Prospects and Borrow Pit excavations scattered across the eastern slopes of Clayton Ridge. Primitive 4wd tracks provide the only access through this arid environment, connecting the drainage of Lida Wash to the shifted sands of the Sand Dunes. The map documents a period of specialized mining and geothermal interest in the Great Basin, focusing on the infrastructure required to harness the valley's geological potential.