1992 Map of Durmid SE

About this map

The Salton Sea dominates this landscape, reflecting its mid-century status as both a recreational destination and a strictly controlled military and ecological zone. In 1992, the water level sat at elevation 228 feet below sea level, a measurement that anchors the various land uses along its eastern shore. The small settlement of Bertram sits along the northern edge, bordered by a topographical Dike and the sprawling Salton Sea State Recreation Area. This sheet reveals the complex administrative overlapping of the California desert, where the Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge and the Salton Sea Test Base share space with public recreation lands, illustrating the tension between conservation, military testing, and local settlement at the end of the twentieth century.