1948 Map of Turner Ranch

About this map

The San Joaquin River meanders through this Merced County landscape, its course defined by a complex network of waterways including Pick Anderson Slough and Salt Slough. The land use of the late 1940s is dominated by significant cattle ranching operations and water management systems. Named holdings such as Turner Ranch, Cranes Ranch, McNamara Ranch, and Hoagland Ranch are connected by a grid of rural tracks like Turner Road. Irrigation and water control are central to the region's geography, evidenced by the prominent East Side Canal and the Shearn Lateral. The southern portion of the map is defined by the Sanjon De Santa Rita boundary, where the river braids into multiple channels near the Bypass and Deep Slough. This survey preserves the hydraulic character of the Central Valley before mid-century agricultural intensification reshaped many of these smaller sloughs and creek beds.