2015 Map of Big Maria Mountains NW

About this map

Rice Valley dominates the central portion of this 2015 survey, serving as a low-lying basin between the prominent elevation of the Riverside Mountains to the northeast and the Big Maria Mountains to the south. This arid landscape in Riverside County is defined by its topographic extremes, where the flat valley floor gives way to the complex, deeply incised ridges and canyons of the southern mountain range. The map illustrates a transitional desert environment where the public land survey system grids of t2s r21e, t2s r22e, t3s r21e, and t3s r22e overlay an otherwise undeveloped terrain. The lack of modern settlements emphasizes the isolation of this corner of the Colorado Desert, focusing instead on the natural landforms and elevation contours that guide drainage through the valley.