Loading map...

1956 Map of Cadiz Valley

Name: 1956 Topographic Map of Cadiz Valley
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1963
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1963

About this map

Joshua Tree National Monument anchors the southwest corner of this mid-century survey, where the Coxcomb Mountains rise sharply above the Pinto Basin. The landscape is defined by its engineering and desert geography, specifically the prominent route of the Colorado River Aqueduct and its associated siphons and levees as it cuts through the valley. This infrastructure was critical for transporting water across the arid interior to coastal basins.

The northern reaches are dominated by the dry expanse of Cadiz Lake and extensive sand dunes shifting between the Kilbeck Hills and the Iron Mountains. Transportation in this era is represented by the Twentynine Palms Highway and the Parker Dam Highway, which intersect near the San Bernardino and Riverside county line. Small-scale human activity is visible in isolated landmarks such as a gaging station and a lone prospect in the mountains.