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1959 Map of Carneros Rocks

Name: 1959 Topographic Map of Carneros Rocks
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1961
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1961

About this map

McDonald Anticline and the surrounding high desert of western Kern County dominate this 1959 field-checked landscape, where the petroleum industry is etched into the terrain. The map captures a high-density network of oil wells and infrastructure concentrated within the South Belridge oil field and the Cymric Oil Field. These industrial zones contrast sharply with the natural drainage patterns of Santos Creek and Chico Martinez Creek, which carve through the Bacon Hills.

In the southern reaches, the elevation rises into the Temblor Range, featuring the distinctive geological formation of Carneros Rocks. Along the foothills, numerous strip mines and scattered water sources like Carneros Spring reveal the dual economy of mineral extraction and livestock grazing. The presence of the Layman Area and Bacon Hills Area denotes specific operational zones within this arid, resource-rich corridor at the edge of the Temblor Valley.