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1954 Map of Avenal Gap

Name: 1954 Topographic Map of Avenal Gap
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1956
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1956

About this map

Kettleman Plain and the Antelope Plain meet in this mid-century survey of the California Central Valley, centered on the strategic Avenal Gap. The landscape is a study in industrial and agricultural utility, where the arid terrain is managed through an extensive network of oil wells, oil tanks, and water infrastructure including several water tanks and a reservoir. Cultural features are focused on the southern portion of the sheet near the Kings and Kern County line, where the small settlement of Devils Den and a Farm Labor Camp are located.

Industrial activity is evident at the Gypsum Quarries and a Cotton Gin near the intersection of various ranch roads. The topography is defined by prominent ridges and elevations such as Middle Dome, South Dome, and Oyster Hill. Natural drainages like Arroyo Vallejo and Arroyo Ancho cut through the foothills of the Pyramid Hills, illustrating the complex hydrology required to support the local economy of the 1950s.