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1950 Map of Chatom Ranch

Name: 1950 Topographic Map of Chatom Ranch
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1950
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1950

About this map

The dry expanse of the Tulare Lake Bed dominates this landscape in Kings County, illustrating a period of intensive agricultural reclamation in the Central Valley. The map documents the engineering required to manage this former lake territory, featuring an extensive system of embankments such as Cohn Levee, Lovelace Levee, and Goldberg Levee. These structures, alongside the Wilbur Ditch, channel the waters of the Kings River and Tule River across the basin floor.

Remote agricultural outposts like Chatom Ranch and Wolfson Ranch are visible, connected by the gridded layout of roads like Pueblo Avenue. This survey, based on topography by FA Wuopio, provides a window into the industrial-scale farming operations and water management infrastructure of the mid-20th century, including the Midlake Substation, which supported the region's energy and irrigation needs.