1956 Map of Salton

About this map

Salton Sea dominates this mid-century topographic record, capturing the shoreline during a period when its elevation was documented at 235 feet below sea level. The landscape is a stark desert basin, where the Torres Martinez Indian Reservation spans large tracts of the northwestern and southern portions of the map. Human infrastructure is concentrated along the narrow strip of land between the water and the rising terrain to the northeast, where the Southern Pacific railroad tracks parallel the coast near the settlement of Salton. This area serves as a transit corridor, marked by a Jeep Trail, a local Well, and the designated boundaries of the Salton Sea State Park. The map also delineates the border between Riverside and Imperial Counties, providing a clear view of how these administrative lines intersect the low-lying basin floor and its industrial features like the shoreline Gravel Pits.