Loading map...

1957 Map of Brawley NW

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

USGS Topo · Published 1979

About this map

The New River corridor in Imperial County reveals a stark contrast between military testing grounds and the desert's complex irrigation network as it appeared in the late 1950s. The western half of the landscape is dominated by the Parachute Range and the Recovery Test Range, which sit alongside a designated Naval Reservation Boundary and a specific Firing Range. These features signify the region's importance to mid-century aerospace and military operations.

Transitioning eastward, the land gives way to the intensive agricultural engineering of the Imperial Valley. A dense grid of waterways, including the Westside Main Canal, Thistle Canal, and various laterals like Thistle Lateral 7, support the Tamarack Ranch. The presence of several Gravel Pits and Grain Tanks underscores an economy built on both resource extraction and industrial-scale farming. A lone Jeep Trail and a series of levees further illustrate the human effort required to navigate and manage this arid environment.