1965 Map of Palo Verde

About this map

The Colorado River meanders through a landscape defined by massive engineering and irrigation in the mid-1960s. This survey captures the intensive water management system of the Palo Verde Valley, where a dense network of canals like the C-28 Canal and C-18 Canal feeds the agricultural lands between the Palo Verde Mesa and the riverbanks. The settlement of Palo Verde serves as a local hub near the Riverside and Imperial County line. The map illustrates the transition from the arid mesa, traversed by the historic Bradshaw Trail, to the lush river bottomlands. Large-scale infrastructure is evident in the flume and the channel under construction within the Cibola National Wildlife Refuge, marking a period of active modification to the river's path and the surrounding Cibola Valley wetlands.