Loading map...

1929 Map of Coles Levee

Name: 1929 Topographic Map of Coles Levee
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1929
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1929

About this map

The Elk Hills dominate the southwestern corner of this Kern County survey, providing a sharp topographic contrast to the surrounding alluvial plain. This 1920s landscape is defined by an extensive network of water management, where the Kern River and its associated Kern River Slough are redirected through engineered works like the Pioneer Canal and the James and Dixon Canal. This infrastructure supported the regional transition from wild wetlands to structured agricultural and industrial use.

Evidence of local industry and recreation is found in specific landmarks such as the Western Water Co (Pumping Plant) and the Mesquite Hunting Club. Transportation follows the water, with the Southern Pacific RR (Mc Kittrick Branch) skirting the northern edge and the Taft Coles Levee Highway cutting across the south. For those tracing the evolution of California's Central Valley, the map documents the Buena Vista Slough and various drainage features like the East Side Ditch that reshaped this terrain.