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1954 Map of Tupman

Name: 1954 Topographic Map of Tupman
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1976
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1976

About this map

The Elk Hills dominate the southwestern terrain of this Kern County survey, serving as the backdrop for the massive Naval Petroleum Reserve No 1. The landscape is a complex intersection of natural drainage and industrial water management, where the Kern River Channel and Bypass meet a dense network of infrastructure including the Main Levee Canal and the California Aqueduct. This era of development is defined by the extraction economy, with the North Coles Levee Oil Field and South Coles Levee Oil Field blanketing the valley floor with wells, pipelines, and sumps.

Local life centers around the settlement of Tupman and the nearby Elk Hills School. North of the industrial zones, the land transitions into a mix of recreational and ranching use, from the Tule Elk State Park and Mesquite Hunting Club to the Buena Vista Ranch. The presence of the Southern Pacific railroad line near Goose Lake Slough highlights the historical transport corridors that supported these early 20th-century oil operations and water diversion projects.