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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 and its intricate network of irrigation channels dominate this landscape on the California-Arizona border during the early 1950s. The map illustrates a massive engineering effort to harness the river, centered around the Palo Verde Dam and the Palo Verde Intake. From these points, a complex system of waterways including the Main Canal, Duplicate Canal, and various alphabetical branches like the A Canal and B Canal distribute water across the valley floor.

Evidence of earlier human activity is preserved in the Fertilla (Ruins) and the Palo Verde Cemetery, while industrial infrastructure like the Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe railroad and a Quarry at the foot of the Big Maria Mountains show the region's economic drivers. The eastern edge of the survey covers a significant portion of the Colorado River Indian Reservation, showcasing the river's meandering path before it was fully channelized.