Loading map...

1982 Map of Upper Centennial Flat

Name: 1982 Topographic Map of Upper Centennial Flat
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1983
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1983

About this map

China Lake Naval Weapons Center occupies a significant portion of this high-desert landscape in the early 1980s, reflecting the region's long-standing role in military testing and aerospace research. The terrain is defined by large, arid basins such as Little Cactus Flat and Big Cactus Flat, punctuated by isolated water sources like Upper Centennial Spring and Upper Haiwee Spring. This combination of extreme isolation and topographic variation provided the ideal conditions for sensitive government operations and mining prospects.

Resource extraction is evident at the Thorndyke Mine, situated along the rugged slopes of Thorndyke Canyon. This small-scale industrial presence amidst features like Pinon Peak and Iron Hill underscores the persistence of prospecting in the Inyo County desert. The map captures a transition period where traditional land uses like mining and livestock watering at Joshua Flat coexist with modern military infrastructure and restricted zones.