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1951 Map of Picacho

Name: 1951 Topographic Map of Picacho
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1952
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1952

About this map

The Colorado River carves a serpentine path through the arid borderlands of Arizona and California in this 1951 record, a landscape defined by industrial extraction and riparian preservation. The river corridor is largely protected by the Imperial National Wildlife Refuge, where backwaters like Taylor Lake, Walker Lake, and Three Fingers Lake create a sharp contrast to the surrounding desert. Evidence of earlier river-based commerce and settlement appears at the Nortons Landing (Site) and the riverside settlement of Picacho, while the nearby Regans Slough highlights the complex hydrology of the valley before modern stabilization.

Inland from the river, the Trigo Mountains and Chocolate Mts are dotted with mining history. Significant hard-rock operations including the Red Cloud Mine, Black Rock Mine, and Eureka Mine are mapped alongside the Clip Mill Site, indicating the extensive reach of the mining industry in this remote territory. These features, along with the Draper Ranch and isolated desert water sources like Arrowweed Springs, offer a clear picture of the hard-won human presence in the desert Southwest during the mid-twentieth century.