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1931 Map of Goose Lake

Name: 1931 Topographic Map of Goose Lake
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1931
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1931

About this map

Indian Burial Mounds are mapped across this landscape, indicating the deep cultural history of the area prior to its agricultural transformation. The terrain is defined by the drying Goose Lake Bed and the prominent elevations of Semitropic Ridge and Buttonwillow Ridge. By the early 1930s, the region had been heavily engineered for irrigation, with the Eastside Canal, Goose Lake Canal, and Westside Canal cutting through the basin to support ranching operations like the Carmel Ranch and Banducci Ranch.

Social and industrial infrastructure at this time included the Semitropic Sch and a series of pumping stations along the State Highway No 33. Recreation is also evident through the presence of the Doheny Gun Club and Goose Lake Gun Club, which were established near the remaining water pockets of the former lake. This survey captures a moment when the San Joaquin Valley’s hydrology was being radically reshaped by canals and drainage systems.