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1963 Map of Salton Sea

Name: 1963 Topographic Map of Salton Sea
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1963
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1963

About this map

The Salton Sea dominates this arid landscape, flanked by the intensive irrigation networks of the Imperial Valley to the south. In the early 1960s, the region was a complex patchwork of conservation, agriculture, and military testing. The Salton Sea Test Base sits on the southwestern shore, while vast swaths of the Chocolate Mountains are designated as the Chocolate Mountain Aerial Gunnery Range and the Camp Dunlap Artillery Range.

Mining activity is pervasive across the desert ranges, with major operations like the Eagle Mountain Mine and numerous prospects such as the Paymaster Mine and Golden Bee Mine marking the mountain slopes. To the east, the Colorado River serves as a vital artery, supporting the town of Blythe and the Colorado River Indian Reservation. This map reveals the transition from the engineered wetlands of the Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge to the wilder reaches of Joshua Tree National Monument to the north.