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1979 Map of Priest Rapids

Name: 1979 Topographic Map of Priest Rapids
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1979
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1979

About this map

Hanford Works and its dedicated government rail line occupy the southern reach of this landscape, illustrating the significant federal footprint in the region during the late 1970s. The Columbia River serves as the central artery, controlled by the Priest Rapids Dam and the O'Sullivan Dam, which together manage the complex irrigation network of the West Canal and Potholes Canal feeding the Royal Slope. This infrastructure transformed the arid desert into a productive agricultural zone, supporting settlements like Royal City and Othello.

Conservation and military interests define the surrounding terrain, from the Ginkgo Petrified Forest State Park in the north to the sprawling Yakima Firing Center Military Reservation. The map details the transition between these protected zones and the industrial rail corridors of the Chicago Milwaukee ST Paul And Pacific and the Burlington Northern, which bridge the river at Beverly and Vantage.