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1988 Map of Ninemile Wash

Name: 1988 Topographic Map of Ninemile Wash
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1988
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1988

About this map

The Chocolate Mountain Aerial Gunnery Range dominates the high desert landscape of Imperial County in this late 1980s provisional study. The map reveals an area defined by intense mineral exploration and military designation, where countless prospects and prospect pits dot the arid terrain. Commercial mining activity is prominent, anchored by the Mesquite Mine and Rainbow Mine, while historic operations like the Old Channel Mine Shaft suggest a long legacy of extraction in these mountains.

Ephemeral drainage patterns are centered on Ninemile Wash, which cuts through the rugged interior toward the eastern heights of Black Mountain. Transportation is limited to a network of 4wd tracks and trails, emphasizing the isolation of this desert reach. The presence of a trans line and a dike near the Gravel Pit indicates the infrastructure required to support these active mining claims within the federal reservation.