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1951 Map of Picacho

Name: 1951 Topographic Map of Picacho
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1966
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1966

About this map

The Colorado River defines the rugged border between Arizona and California, winding through a corridor of lakes and wetlands including Taylor Lake, Ferguson Lake, and Walker Lake. This post-war survey highlights the Imperial National Wildlife Refuge and the legacy of mining in the surrounding Trigo Mountains and Chocolate Mountains. Notable industrial sites like the Red Cloud Mine, Black Rock Mine, and the Clip Mill Site point to a history of hard-rock extraction in this desert landscape.

Evidence of early river-bound settlements is preserved in labels like Nortons Landing (Site) and Picacho (Site), as well as the Cibola Post Office Ruins in the Cibola Valley. Ranching life is documented through established sites such as Draper Ranch and Hoge Ranch, which were situated near the complex system of sloughs and washes, including Regans Slough and Vinagre Wash, that fed into the main channel before modern water management further altered the river's path.