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1969 Map of San Luis Dam

Name: 1969 Topographic Map of San Luis Dam
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1980
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1980

About this map

The massive water management infrastructure of western Merced County dominates this late 1960s landscape, centered on the San Luis Reservoir State Recreation Area. This era saw the completion of the San Luis Dam and the O'Neill Dam, creating the sprawling O'Neill Forebay and the main reservoir. These features represent a pivotal moment in California's hydraulic history, where the California Aqueduct, San Luis Canal, and Delta-Mendota Canal all converge near a specialized Pumping-Generating Plant.

Local life is anchored at Santa Nella Village and the Romero Sch north of the reservoir. While much of the terrain is dedicated to water storage and transport, the map also captures recreational development like the Fore Bay Golf Club and Romero Overlook. Topographical details like Basalt Hill and Quien Sabe Point rise above the recently flooded basins, while older tracks like Fahey Road and Jasper Sears Road skirt the new industrial-scale shoreline.