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1958 Map of El Centro

Name: 1958 Topographic Map of El Centro
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1972
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1972

About this map

The Imperial Valley dominates this mid-century survey, revealing a landscape defined by an intricate network of irrigation and military use across the California-Arizona border. The agricultural intensity of the region is traced through a grid of waterways including the All American Canal, Coachella Canal, and dozens of smaller channels like the Olive Lateral and Moss Lateral. These canals support the established hubs of El Centro, Brawley, and Calexico, which anchor the valley's development before it transitions into the stark Sand Hills and East Mesa.

To the east, the Colorado River serves as a vital corridor, winding past Yuma and into the extensive Yuma Proving Grounds. Extensive federal land holdings are prominent, with the U.S. Naval Gunnery Range and Luke Air Force Bombing and Gunnery Range marking the arid stretches of the Yuma Desert and Lechuguilla Desert. Transportation infrastructure is equally detailed, showing the Southern Pacific RR and San Diego and Arizona Eastern RR connecting these desert outposts to the rest of the Southwest.