1954 Map of Big Maria Mts NE

About this map

The Colorado River carves a sharp dividing line through this desert landscape, marking the border between California and Arizona as it was surveyed in the mid-1950s and updated in 1970. The eastern bank is dominated by the Colorado River Indian Reservation, showing a landscape of organized agriculture and levees that contrasts with the arid uplands to the west. On the California side, the terrain rises sharply into the Maria Mountains and the Riverside Mountains, cut by significant desert drainages like Big Wash and Slaughter Tree Wash. This map captures a specific era of riverfront access, noting the riverside settlement at Water Wheel Camp and the path of the Old Blythe-Vidal Road before modern highway realignments. Landmarks such as Quien Sabe Point and Hall Island help anchor the shifting river geography of the Riverside and Yuma County borderlands.