1977 Map of Electric City

About this map

Electric City and Grand Coulee sit at the center of this 1977 orthophotograph, where the massive engineering of the Columbia Basin project meets the desert landscape. Developed from aerial photography by the Geological Survey and Soil Conservation Service, this map provides a direct visual record of the massive water infrastructure and the specialized settlements that grew to support it. The high-contrast imagery clearly defines the complex shoreline and the geometric patterns of human development against the natural formations of the coulee. The prominent landmark of Eagle Rock stands to the southwest, serving as a geographic anchor in a terrain defined by dramatic vertical relief and large-scale water management. This specific format of map, using photographic imagery rather than traditional line-work contours, captures the exact texture of the land and the density of the built environment during the late 1970s.