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1955 Map of Coal Oil Canyon

Name: 1955 Topographic Map of Coal Oil Canyon
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1970
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1970

About this map

The dry Kern Lake Bed dominates the northern landscape of this Kern County region, revealing a terrain heavily modified for water management and resource extraction. Surrounded by an extensive system of Levees and a Ditch, the former lakebed sits north of the industrial corridor defined by the California Aqueduct. This survey captures the mid-century transition from traditional agriculture to intensive energy production, centered on the Wheeler Ridge Oil Field and its complex network of pipelines and storage facilities.

Social and industrial infrastructure is concentrated around Lakeview, where a Cotton Gin and a County Park stand near the Lakeview Duck Club. The map provides specific locations for infrastructure vital to the Central Valley, including the Wheeler Ridge Pumping Plant and the Emidio Pumping Station. Historical markers, such as the Fages-Zalvidea Trails Marker, offer a glimpse into the earlier exploration routes that preceded the modern Maricopa Highway.