1954 Map of Picacho NW

About this map

The Colorado River serves as the central artery and state boundary between California and Arizona, weaving through a landscape of riverine bottomlands and arid desert washes. In this mid-century period, the Imperial National Wildlife Refuge encompasses significant stretches of the riparian corridor, protecting a series of backwater lakes including Three Finger Lake, Cibola Lake, Walker Lake, and Draper Lake. Evidence of earlier human activity and river transport is visible at Paymaster Landing and Draper Ranch, while the interior desert reveals traces of mining history at the Clip Mill (Site). The terrain is defined by a network of drainage systems such as Lopez Wash, Vinagre Wash, and Turnaround Wash that cut through the Mountains and Trocolohomas, providing a look at the remote geography of the Cibola Valley and Paradise Valley before modern development shifted the character of these borderlands.