1965 Map of Picacho NW

About this map

The Colorado River carves a green corridor through the arid borderlands of California and Arizona in this mid-1960s survey. This specific reach of the river is defined by a complex network of backwater lakes and marshes, including Cibola Lake, Walker Lake, and Draper Lake, all contained within the Imperial National Wildlife Refuge and Cibola National Wildlife Refuge. The map captures a transitional era of river management and recreation, where remote outposts like Walters Camp and Cibola Camp sit alongside the historical river-access point at Paymaster Landing. Further inland, the desert landscape is marked by deep ephemeral drainage systems such as Vinagre Wash and Lopez Wash that cut toward the jagged peaks of the Trigo Mountains. Evidence of early industrial activity persists at the Clip Mill (Site), providing a spatial record of mining history near the riverbank.