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1957 Map of Brawley

Name: 1957 Topographic Map of Brawley
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1979
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1979

About this map

The agricultural grid of the Imperial Valley dominates this mid-century landscape, defined by a complex irrigation network of canals and drains branching from the Central Main Canal. The city of Brawley serves as the regional hub, where the Southern Pacific railroad lines intersect with a dense civic infrastructure. Local history is reflected in the distribution of rural schools like Worth Sch and Oakley Sch, alongside industrial landmarks such as the Sugar Refinery and the Brawley Municipal Airport.

Flowing through the western portion of the map, the New River meanders amidst a strictly engineered landscape of labeled irrigation features including the Westside Main Canal and Dahlia Canal. This 1957 survey, with revisions into the late 1970s, captures the peak of desert reclamation, showing the transition from the organized town blocks of Brawley to the systematic farm plots and ranches like Tamarack Ranch.