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1955 Map of Salton Sea

Name: 1955 Topographic Map of Salton Sea
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1955
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1955

About this map

The Salton Sea and its surrounding desert basins dominate this mid-century landscape, revealing a complex network of agricultural irrigation and industrial extraction. In the southeast, the intensely farmed Imperial Valley is visible via the West Side Main Canal and Coachella Canal, while the Colorado River marks the eastern boundary. The map captures a difficult period of modern history, documenting the locations of the Parker Alien Reception Center Unit No 1 and its sister units on the Colorado River Indian Reservation.

Mining activity is scattered throughout the ranges, with the Eagle Mountain Mine in the north and the Paymaster Mine in the Chocolate Mountains. Small settlements and railroad sidings like Niland, Blythe, and Tortuga dot the Southern Pacific and Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe lines. Military and scientific presence is noted at the Salton Sea Base near the shoreline, while the Joshua Tree National Monument preserves the high desert to the northwest.