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1962 Map of Merced Falls

Name: 1962 Topographic Map of Merced Falls
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1963
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1963

About this map

Industrial and mining activity define this landscape at the border of Mariposa and Merced counties, where the Merced River is managed through a series of significant engineering works. The Exchequer Dam holds back the waters of Lake McClure, while downstream, the Merced Falls Diversion Dam and Snelling Diversion Dam channel water into the North Side Canal and Main Canal. The settlement of Merced Falls serves as a focal point for these water systems, situated near extensive dredge tailings that reveal the scale of historic riverbed excavation.

Upland from the river, the map documents a legacy of hard-rock mining and early transportation. Several named claims, including the Akoz Mine, Blue Moon Mine, and Lucky Quartz Mine, dot the ridges between Dry Creek and Meyers Creek. Evidence of early transit is visible at Webb Station and along an Old Railroad Grade that winds through the hills, while landmarks like Table Top Mtn and Cemetery Hill provide topographic orientation for local historians and genealogists.