2014 Map of Mule Wash

About this map

The Colorado River forms the vital western boundary of this arid landscape, carving a fertile corridor between the Palo Verde Valley in California and the rugged Trigo Mountains in Arizona. This 2014 survey illustrates the sophisticated irrigation infrastructure supporting regional agriculture, including the D-23 Canal, D-23-1 Canal, and D 23 Spill. These man-made channels contrast with the natural ephemeral drainages that define the high desert floor, such as Mule Wash, Gould Wash, and the curiously named Crazy Woman Wash. While Levee Rd tracks the river’s edge, Cibola Rd strikes eastward across the Great Colorado Valley. The map documents a sparsely populated but highly managed borderland where the industrial water systems of the lowlands meet the primitive wilderness of the mountain peaks.