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1951 Map of Blythe NE

Name: 1951 Topographic Map of Blythe NE
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1971
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1971

About this map

The Colorado River forms the vital boundary between California and Arizona on this mid-century sheet, defining a landscape shaped by massive irrigation efforts. In the Palo Verde Valley, a complex grid of waterways including the Main Canal, Duplicate Canal, and several lettered branches like A Canal and B Canal stretch across the desert floor. This infrastructure, supported by the Palo Verde Dam and Palo Verde Intake, transformed the arid terrain into a productive agricultural zone.

Evidence of earlier settlement and transit is visible in the Fertilla (Ruins) and the path of the Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe railroad. To the north, the sharp rise of the Big Maria Mountains provides a stark contrast to the engineered valley floor. Cultural and recreational sites like the Colorado River Indian Reservation and Collis Mayflower County Park further illustrate the multifaceted land use of this river corridor.