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1926 Map of Boulder Canyon

Name: 1926 Topographic Map of Boulder Canyon
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1926
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1926

About this map

The Colorado River carves through the heart of the Southwest in this 1926 survey, documenting the landscape immediately before the construction of Hoover Dam transformed the region forever. Several proposed locations for river management are noted, including the Boulder Canyon Dam Site, the Callville Dam Site, and the Upper Black Canyon Dam Site. These markers highlight a pivotal moment when federal and municipal agencies were actively engineering the river's future.

Along the western edge, the Union Pacific railroad tracks connect desert outposts such as Dry Lake, Garnet, and Apex. To the east of the railroad, the terrain rises into the Muddy Mountains and the White Basin. The map also captures historic river-adjacent locations like Old Callville and the Boulder Rapids, providing a precise look at the canyons and washes, such as Las Vegas Wash and Callville Wash, before they were submerged by the rising waters of Lake Mead.