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1956 Map of Iris

Name: 1956 Topographic Map of Iris
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1980
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1980

About this map

Coachella Canal and the East Highline Canal dominate this Imperial County landscape, illustrating the massive mid-century irrigation infrastructure required to transform the desert into productive farmland. The geometric precision of the drainage network, including the Estelle Drain and a sequence of lateral canals from R Lateral to D Lateral, reveals a strictly managed environment where water is the primary architect of the terrain.

Along the Southern Pacific tracks, the small outposts of Flowing Wells and Iris mark the intersection of rail transport and rural water management. To the northeast, the terrain shifts abruptly from irrigated fields to the Chocolate Mountain Aerial Gunnery Range, highlighting the dual identity of the region as both an agricultural basin and a military training ground. Local industrial activity is evidenced by a Gravel Pit and a Filtration Plant, supporting the localized needs of this desert community.