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1959 Map of Gene Wash

Name: 1959 Topographic Map of Gene Wash
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1973
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1973

About this map

Parker Dam and the heavy engineering of the mid-century water system dominate this borderland landscape between California and Arizona. The map traces the massive infrastructure of the Colorado River Aqueduct, including several subterranean passages such as the Colorado River Tunnel and the Copper Basin Tunnel. These works are centered around the Gene Pumping Sta and the Whitset Intake, illustrating the complex movement of water through the Whipple Mountains to serve distant coastal basins.

Along the shores of Lake Havasu, small recreational and logistical hubs like Black Meadow Landing and Larned Landing suggest the early development of the reservoir as a destination. The rugged desert terrain of the Aubrey Hills and Buckskin Mountains frames the river corridor, while the Havasu Lake National Wildlife Refuge marks a significant conservation boundary. The map captures a moment when industrial water management and emerging recreational use began to reshape this stretch of the Colorado River.