1956 Map of Calipatria SW

About this map

The Salton Sea dominates the northern reaches of this Imperial County landscape, its shoreline bordered by the protected wetlands of the Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge. In the mid-1950s, the agricultural character of the region is defined by an intricate network of irrigation and drainage infrastructure essential for farming the desert floor. The Westside Main Canal and the Thistle Canal feed a grid of laterals and drains, including the Trifolium Storm Drain and Vail Canal, which organize the territory between the settlement at Westmorland and the Vail Ranch. The New River meanders toward the sea, while localized features like a Gravel Pit and a Spring provide clues to the literal groundwork and water management of this era. This survey, directed by Harvey O. Banks, preserves a time when the desert's transformation into a massive agricultural engine was in full maturity.