2012 Map of Union Wash

About this map

Manzanar and the surrounding Inyo County desert are defined by the complex water infrastructure of the early 21st century. The path of the Owens River meanders across the valley floor, contrasted by the engineered precision of the Los Angeles Aqueduct and the Eclipse Ditch. These features represent a century of hydrologic transformation in the Owens Valley, where water rights and transport have long shaped local geography. Small settlements like Owenyo and Reward sit at the crossroads of desert routes including Manzanar Reward Rd and Owenyo Lone Pine Rd. To the east, the landscape rises sharply into the rugged terrain of the Inyo Mountains, where names like Fossil Hill, Eclipse Canyon, and Long John Canyon hint at the area's geological and mining history. The proximity of Mount Whitney on the western horizon anchors this high-desert perspective.