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1955 Map of Otay Mesa

Name: 1955 Topographic Map of Otay Mesa
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1961
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1961

About this map

The international boundary between California and Mexico defines the southern reach of this mid-century survey, where the Otay Mesa plateau meets the San Ysidro Mountains. At the heart of the mesa sits the Brown Field Naval Auxiliary Air Station, a significant Cold War-era military footprint flanked by a Bombing Range. This area reveals a landscape in transition, where legacy agricultural operations like Otay Ranch, Bird Ranch, and Kuebler Ranch persist alongside federal infrastructure and the Alta School.

Water management is central to the northern terrain, anchored by Savage Dam and the Lower Otay Reservoir. The presence of the Lower Otay Filtration Plant and an Aqueduct system underscores the engineering required to support the arid San Diego backcountry. Rugged canyons such as La Nacion Canyon and Wolf Canyon cut through the hills, while the Lower Otay Camping Area suggests early recreational use of the reservoir lands.