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1956 Map of Mae

Name: 1956 Topographic Map of Mae
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1967
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1967

About this map

Hiawatha Valley and the expansive waters of Potholes Reservoir define this mid-1950s landscape in Grant County. The map documents a pivotal moment for the region’s water management, recording the reservoir at an elevation of 1039 feet in June 1956. This man-made water body significantly altered the local geography, inundating the complex topography of The Potholes where water now weaves through a labyrinth of semi-submerged Sand Dunes.

Settlement is concentrated at the small community of Mae, characterized by a local Cemetery and nearby Gravel Pit operations. Further west, the name Camas identifies a locality near the rising dunes. The contrast between the organized grid of the valley floor and the chaotic, shifting shapes of the dune fields reflects the intersection of intensive irrigation projects and the natural desert environment of eastern Washington.