1975 Map of Alturas NE

About this map

Alturas serves as the focal point of this 1970s orthophotograph, situated at the critical confluence where the North Fork Pit River and South Fork Pit River join to form the main stem of the Pit River. This aerial perspective, produced by the Geological Survey in cooperation with the Soil Conservation Service, reveals a landscape defined by the transition from the structured residential grid and commercial center of the town to the vast, complex mosaic of irrigated agricultural fields and wetlands to the south and east. South of the main settlement, the smaller locality of Paola sits along a prominent north-south corridor, surrounded by the intricate drainage patterns and distinct land-use boundaries characteristic of the Modoc plateau. The imagery provides an unfiltered view of the valley's hydrology and land management just before the late 20th century.