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1952 Map of Frenchman Lake

Name: 1952 Topographic Map of Frenchman Lake
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1964
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1964

About this map

Nevada Test Site and the Nellis Air Force Range dominate this 1952 study of the southern Nevada desert, capturing a critical landscape at the height of the early Cold War. The map details the restricted topography of the Yucca Flat and Frenchman Flat basins, separated by the prominent French Peak. This area served as the primary continental location for American nuclear testing, indicated here by the presence of the Mercury Highway and the evocative Plutonium Valley.

Beyond its military significance, the survey documents a complex network of dry lake beds like Yucca Lake and surrounding mountain structures, including the Desert Range and the Buried Hills. An Aqueduct is shown crossing the arid expanse near the Ranger Mountains, while various boundary markers, such as the Game Range Boundary, delineate the administrative control of this high-security desert corridor.