1907 Map of Holtville

About this map

Agricultural development in the Imperial Valley is documented here shortly after the arrival of Colorado River water via the Main Canal. The landscape is a study in human engineering, where a dense grid of irrigation features like the Peach Ditch, Pear Ditch, and Pomelo Ditch carve productive fields out of the desert floor, much of which lies 100 feet below sea level. The Alamo River snakes through the center of this transformation, providing the natural drainage for the emerging settlements of Holtville and Calexico at the international United States Mexico boundary.