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1955 Map of Imperial Reservoir

Name: 1955 Topographic Map of Imperial Reservoir
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1963
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1963

About this map

The Colorado River forms a dynamic border between Arizona and California in this mid-century survey, dominated by the engineered hydrology of the Imperial Reservoir and Imperial Dam Spillway 181. This map documents a landscape defined by the convergence of massive federal irrigation projects and military utility, where the Gila Main Canal and Settling Tanks demonstrate the intensive management of river water for desert agriculture.

Along the eastern banks, the map preserves the location of Castle Dome Landing (Site) and Fishers Landing, reminders of the river's historic role as a transportation corridor. To the west, the Chocolate Mountains rise above Senator Wash, while the expansive Yuma Test Station and the Imperial National Wildlife Refuge illustrate the competing modern uses for this arid terrain. Prospecting history is visible at the Old Senator Mine and several gravel pits, providing a look at the extraction that once drove local movement through the desert flats.