1954 Map of Merced Falls

About this map

The Merced River and its industrial transformation dominate this mid-century landscape where Mariposa, Tuolumne, Stanislaus, and Merced Counties converge. The map documents the significant footprint of the gold mining and water management eras, notably the extensive Dredge Tailings and Tailings fields that flank the river near Snelling. These massive mounds of gravel remain as physical evidence of the dredging operations that reconfigured the valley floor. To the north and east, the rising foothills are defined by the early phases of the region's reservoir systems, including the Don Pedro Reservoir and Lake McClure.