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1965 Map of Ligurta

Name: 1965 Topographic Map of Ligurta
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1980
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1980

About this map

Ligurta sits at a strategic junction in the arid Arizona landscape, where the historic Butterfield Stage Route and the Southern Pacific railroad corridor parallel the life-giving Gila River. This mid-1960s survey illustrates a complex water management system essential for desert agriculture, dominated by the Wellton-Mohawk Canal, the Dome Main Canal, and numerous siphons and flumes that distribute water through Dome Valley. To the north, the Muggins Mountains and Muggins Peak rise sharply, partially contained within the Yuma Proving Ground boundary.

The southern portion of the map is defined by the high elevations of the Gila Mountains, where Telegraph Pass provides a crossing point for modern transit. This area is dotted with evidence of resource extraction and communication infrastructure, including a Mine, various Prospect sites, and several Radio Facility installations. The contrast between the engineered grid of the valley and the trackless stretches of the Yuma Desert and Luke Air Force Range highlights the region's dual identity as both a military proving ground and a reclaimed agricultural basin.