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1952 Map of McCoy Spring

Name: 1952 Topographic Map of McCoy Spring
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1961
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1961

About this map

McCoy Spring and the rugged McCoy Mountains define this arid stretch of the California desert as it appeared in the mid-20th century. The landscape is marked by the infrastructure of water and extraction, with scattered sites like the Roosevelt Mine and various prospects hinting at the region's mineral history. The low-lying Chuckwalla Valley and Ford Dry Lake dominate the central portion of the map, illustrating the harsh hydrological realities of the Basin and Range province.

Evidence of desert transit and survival is found in the distribution of isolated water sources such as Wiley Well, Hopkins Well, and the Ford Well (Aban'd). Modern utility and engineering are represented by a long Pipe Line and a Diversion Dike cutting across the terrain. To the south and east, the Mule Mountains and Palo Verde Mountains frame the horizon, surrounding a terrain largely untouched by major settlement.