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1983 Map of Soda Lake South

Name: 1983 Topographic Map of Soda Lake South
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1987
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1987

About this map

The arid desert floor of the Mojave dominates this 1980s survey, where the ephemeral Soda Lake and Dry Lake define the northern terrain. The landscape is characterized by expansive shifting Sand deposits and the dramatic dunes of the Devils Playground. Human presence is largely confined to the infrastructure corridors of the Union Pacific RR and a large Transmission Line cutting across the southern reaches of the quadrangle.

A sense of isolation is reinforced by the presence of Ruins and the small railroad outpost at Balch, situated along a Levee that tracks the rail line. The Mojave River Wash provides a dry trace of water through the center of the sheet, while the Mesquite Hills rise to the southwest. This map records a transitional moment in the High Desert, documenting the specific placement of railroad infrastructure and landforms before shifting desert winds and climate patterns altered these sensitive basin features.