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1956 Map of Iris Wash

Name: 1956 Topographic Map of Iris Wash
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1985
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1985

About this map

The Chocolate Mountains dominate the northeastern corner of this Imperial County landscape, giving way to the broad alluvial plains of East Mesa. In the mid-1950s, this desert expanse was defined by heavy military use and significant water infrastructure projects. The Aerial Gunnery Range spans much of the central terrain, while the south reveals the footprint of the Camp Dunlap Naval Reservation and the specific location of Camp Dunlap (Site). Industrial activity is represented by the Imperial Buttes Mine tucked against the mountain foothills.

Water management is a central theme, evidenced by the prominent Coachella Canal and East Highline Canal cutting across the southwestern corner. These engineered waterways, accompanied by several reservoirs, stand in stark contrast to the natural drainage of Iris Wash. The Niland-Blythe Road provides the primary transit link through this high-desert environment during a period of transition between wartime utility and post-war development.