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1953 Map of Overton Beach

Name: 1953 Topographic Map of Overton Beach
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1962
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1962

About this map

The desert landscape of Clark County is defined here by the meeting of arid canyons and the rising waters of the Lake Mead National Recreation Area. In the early 1950s, the geography shows a transitional moment where the Virgin River and Muddy River flow into the northern reaches of the reservoir, creating a complex shoreline of inlets like Calico Bay and Echo Bay. The map documents the industrial and natural features of the era, from the Florence Mine and Nevada Silica Sand Mine near Kaolin to the protected lands of Valley of Fire State Park.

Interpreting the terrain reveals a reliance on vital water sources in an otherwise harsh environment, evidenced by named desert seeps like Blue Point Spring and Mockingbird Spring. The survey even includes underwater contours, a detail stemming from sedimentation studies that track how the landscape changed following the damming of the river system. Notable landmarks such as Baseline Mesa and the Cathedral Peaks provide vertical contrast to the sprawling Overton State Wildlife Management Area along the northern marshes.