1957 Map of Mount Signal

About this map

The Yuha Desert and its intricate network of irrigation infrastructure define this arid landscape along the international border. In the mid-1950s, the engineering of the Imperial Valley is on full display through the extensive canal system, including the Westside Main Canal, Wistaria Canal, and Woodbine Canal. These man-made arteries distribute water across the region's lowlands, contrasted by the dry courses of Pinto Wash and Yuha Wash. At the center of the survey lies the Yuha Naval Reservation, a significant military footprint in the open West Mesa. Local civic life is anchored by the Mt Signal School, while the small settlement at Mount Signal sits near the crossing into Mexico. The map also records the industrial extraction of the era, noting a Rock Quarry and multiple Gravel Pit locations near the New River.