1986 Map of Drinkwater Lake

About this map

Fort Irwin Military Reservation dominates this desert landscape in the mid-1980s, showcasing a terrain defined by high-altitude basins and significant mountain passes. The presence of a single isolated Grave south of Granite Pass provides a poignant connection to the early travelers or settlers who navigated these arid corridors before the establishment of the military range. Water sources are scarce and vital, marked by the ephemeral Drinkwater Lake in the north and the seasonal Drinkwater Spring (Dry). The topography is anchored by the Granite Mountains to the west, where modern infrastructure like a Radio Tower and Radio Facility sits atop the high ridges. This map captures the intersection of natural desert survival and late-twentieth-century strategic land use, tracing old 4wd routes that snake through the pass and across the flats.