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1948 Map of Goldstone Lake

Name: 1948 Topographic Map of Goldstone Lake
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1969
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1969

About this map

Goldstone Lake and the surrounding high desert terrain define this 1948 survey of the northern Mojave, where military expansion and ephemeral lake beds characterize the landscape. The region is largely dominated by the Camp Irwin Military Reservation, with various boundaries such as the Naval Reservation Boundary and the Military Reservation Boundary (Approximate) partitioning the desert floor. These designations reflect the strategic transition of the area during and after World War II.

Evidence of early desert life centers on Goldstone, situated near the massive Superior Valley. The map also traces the San Bernardino Meridian, a critical surveying line for southern California. Natural features like McLean Lake and Nelson Lake appear as dry basins, typical of the arid geography that made this area suitable for the expansive military operations and specialized scientific installations that would later follow.