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1959 Map of Carneros Rocks

Name: 1959 Topographic Map of Carneros Rocks
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1982
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1982

About this map

The South Belridge Oil Field and surrounding petroleum operations dominate this mid-century look at the western edge of the San Joaquin Valley. This 1959 survey, photorevised in 1982, reveals a landscape defined by industry and geology, from the McDonald Anticline to the Cymric Oil Field. The terrain is characterized by numerous strip mines and seasonal drainage systems like Chico Martinez Creek and Zemorra Creek, which carve through the Bacon Hills.

Evidence of historical resource extraction is visible through a network of unimproved roads and specialized zones such as the Layman Area. Significant topographical landmarks like Carneros Rocks and Gould Hill stand above the Temblor Valley, while Carneros Spring provides a rare point of natural water in this arid industrial corridor. The map captures the extent of the Chico Martinez Oil Field at a time when traditional drilling and strip mining were actively reshaping the Kern County foothills.