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1987 Map of Vermillion Canyon

Name: 1987 Topographic Map of Vermillion Canyon
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1987
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1987

About this map

Owens Lake and the arid expanse of the Owens Valley dominate this late-twentieth-century landscape, revealing a region defined by mineral extraction and geothermal activity. The eastern portion is anchored by the Coso Range, where Vermillion Canyon and Red Ridge overlook a terrain marked by several prospects, a Claypit, and an Open Pit Mine. Along the western edge, the small settlement of Grant and a nearby Trailer Pk sit adjacent to a Landing Strip, serving as isolated hubs of human activity in the high desert.

Water management and natural springs are central to this 1987 record. The Aqueduct cuts through the valley floor, contrasting with natural features like Dirty Socks Spring (Hot) and the shifting sands of the Olancha Dunes. This map documents a period when industrial prospecting and essential water infrastructure coexisted with the specialized recreational and transit needs of the Inyo County desert.