Loading map...

1979 Map of El Cajon

Name: 1979 Topographic Map of El Cajon
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1979
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1979

About this map

The San Diego & Arizona Eastern RR winds through the diverse terrain of eastern San Diego County, marking a vital transit corridor between the Pacific coast and the desert interior in the late 1970s. This survey illustrates a landscape defined by significant elevation changes, from the coastal foothills of Santee and El Cajon to the high Laguna Mountains and the arid reaches of the Yuha Desert. The southern boundary is defined by the international border with Mexico, where the remote settlements of Jacumba and Tecate serve as gatekeepers to the high desert passes.

Water management is central to the area's development, evidenced by the network of reservoirs including Lake Morena, Barrett Lake, and the Sweetwater Reservoir. Extensive public and tribal lands dominate the geography, featuring the Cleveland National Forest alongside several indigenous territories such as the Capitan Grande Indian Reservation and the Viejas Indian Reservation. The transition from suburban sprawl at La Mesa to the isolated homesteads of Buckman Springs and Tierra del Sol captures the region's mid-century expansion.