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1963 Map of China Lake NE

Name: 1963 Topographic Map of China Lake NE
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1965
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1965

About this map

The Pecos River winds through the southern edge of this West Texas landscape, serving as the border between Ward and Reeves counties. This arid terrain is defined by a sophisticated water management system designed to support agriculture and industry in the 1960s, featuring the Grand Falls Canal, the Big Valley Canal, and several named wells including Lochabby Well and Smith Well. The land's utility is further underscored by the presence of an aqueduct and a sprawling network of pipelines crossing the Monument Draw.

Family history and local industry are marked by the Wilks Cem and the occasional Oil Well or Gravel Pit. The area known as Spencer in the northeast and the topographical variations of the draw illustrate a transitional landscape where irrigation infrastructure meets the open scrubland. Benchmarks like BM 2583 and BM 2559 provide exact elevations for surveyors and historians tracking the physical development of this river corridor.