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1997 Map of Rainier Mesa

Name: 1997 Topographic Map of Rainier Mesa
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1999
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1999

About this map

The Nevada Test Site dominates this landscape, showing the specialized infrastructure of a high-security government research area at the end of the twentieth century. Centered on the flat-topped Rainier Mesa, the map reveals a complex network of industrial markers including a Heliport, Radio Facility, and the Area 12 Camp administrative hub. The terrain is defined by the contrast between high elevations like Survey Butte and the deep cuts of Aqueduct Wash and Tongue Wash.

Unlike traditional residential maps, the landscape here is marked by dozens of labels for Drill Hole and Drill Holes sites, alongside various Borrow Pit excavations and Prospects. Despite the modern technical uses, older hydrological landmarks persist, such as Whiterock Spring and Captain Jack Spring, located near the rugged slopes of the Eleana Range. The presence of the Aqueduct and Aqueduct Road highlights the heavy engineering required to maintain operations in the arid environment of the Kawich Valley.