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1950 Map of Mouth of Kern

Name: 1950 Topographic Map of Mouth of Kern
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1962
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1962

About this map

Industrial energy production and water management dominate this landscape of the San Joaquin Valley. The southern half of the sheet is largely occupied by the Buena Vista Lake Bed, marked by an extensive system of levees, irrigation ditches, and a canal network featuring an inlet and outlet. Tracing the Approximate Old Shoreline reveals the historical extent of the water before land reclamation transformed the basin.

Strategic petroleum interests define the northern and western uplands, including Naval Petroleum Reserve No 1 and Naval Petroleum Reserve No 2. This energy infrastructure is detailed through numerous oil wells, the Richfield Oil Pumping Station, and the Southern Calif Gas Compressor Station. The proximity of the South Coles Levee Oil Field to the lake bed highlights the intersection of California's mineral wealth and its complex hydraulic history.