1969 Map of San Luis Dam

About this map

San Luis Dam and the O'Neill Dam dominate this landscape, illustrating the massive scale of California’s water infrastructure as it stood in the late 1960s. The map captures the engineered meeting point of the California Aqueduct and the San Luis Canal, feeding the expansive waters of the San Luis Reservoir and O'Neill Forebay. While the hydraulic works and the Pumping Generating Plant are the primary focus, the human footprint is visible at Santa Nella Village and the Four Bay Golf Club. Local relief is defined by landmarks like Basalt Hill and Quien Sabe Point, while the San Luis State Recreation Area surrounds the shoreline. This record provides a clear view of the region after the primary dams were completed but before decades of further central valley development altered the surrounding transit corridors.