1955 Map of Coal Oil Canyon

About this map

Kern Lake Bed dominates the northern reaches of this landscape, reflecting the agricultural and industrial transformation of the southern San Joaquin Valley. The terrain shifts from the flat valley floor, marked by the New Rim Ditch and a Cotton Gin, to the steep elevations of Wheeler Ridge in the south. The 1970s revisions, shown in purple, highlight the massive infrastructure of the California Aqueduct and numerous pipelines that fueled the region's resource extraction and water management systems.