1959 Map of Salton Sea

About this map

The Colorado River corridor and the desert interior are defined here by a massive mid-century military presence and irrigation-driven agriculture. Vast training and testing grounds such as the Chocolate Mountain Aerial Gunnery Range (Naval) and the Yuma Proving Ground (Army) occupy much of the arid terrain between the river and the Salton Sea. Near the water, the Salton Sea Test Base (Naval) and the Planned Space Position Range (Naval) underscore the region's importance to aerospace and defense during the Cold War era.