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1967 Map of Lake Mathews

Name: 1967 Topographic Map of Lake Mathews
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1969
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1969

About this map

Lake Mathews dominates this high-desert landscape, serving as a critical reservoir at the terminus of the Colorado River Aqueduct. The reservoir is bounded by Mathews Dam and a series of dikes, significantly altering the hydrology of the surrounding El Sobrante de San Jacinto land grant. Along the southwestern corridor, the Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe railroad tracks follow the course of Temescal Wash, passing through small settlements like Weisel and Olsen.

Local history is deeply rooted here, marked by the Indian Pictograph Historical Marker and the Site of the First House in Riverside County near Lawson Canyon. To the south, the terrain rises into the Cleveland National Forest and the heights of Estelle Mtn, while the well-known Glen Ivy Hot Springs and Glen Ivy Airport sit at the base of the mountain range. This era shows a mix of early agricultural ranching at Gavilan Springs Ranch and the industrial presence of clay pits and quarries near Arcilla.