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1955 Map of Mecca

Name: 1955 Topographic Map of Mecca
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1973
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1973

About this map

The settlement of Mecca serves as the focal point for this desert landscape, situated at the edge of the Salton Sea just after mid-century. This survey highlights an environment defined by water management and ancestral lands, where the Torres Martinez Indian Reservation and Cabezon Indian Reservation cover significant portions of the valley floor. The vital role of irrigation in this arid basin is evident through the extensive Coachella Canal, numerous Duck Ponds, and a complex system of levees designed to direct the Whitewater River and manage seasonal storm flows.

Transport and topography meet at the foot of the Mecca Hills, where the Southern Pacific railroad tracks parallel the Stormwater Channel. To the northeast, the desert floor rises sharply into a series of deeply eroded landforms, including Painted Canyon, Skeleton Canyon, and Box Canyon. These natural features stand in stark contrast to the rigid grid of agricultural roads like National Avenue and Hammond Road that define the settled valley.