2018 Map of Mule Wash

About this map

The Colorado River forms a sharp geographical and political divide on this 2018 survey, separating Riverside and La Paz counties as well as California and Arizona. To the west, the Palo Verde Valley shows a managed landscape defined by water engineering, including the D-23-1 Canal, D 23 Spill, and Borrow Pit Drain. This fertile valley floor contrasts sharply with the arid eastern bank, where the Great Colorado Valley meets the rising elevations of the Trigo Mountains. The desert terrain is dissected by numerous drainage systems, most notably the namesake Mule Wash, along with Mohave Wash and the distinctively named Crazy Woman Wash. These ephemeral watercourses illustrate the natural drainage patterns of the desert floor before they reach the main river channel. Primitive desert routes like Ehrenberg-Cibola Rd provide the primary access through this remote borderland.