1985 Map of Walker Lake

About this map

Hawthorne Ammunition Depot dominates the southern landscape of this 1985 survey, its grid-like structure of bunkers and roads contrasting with the terminal basin of Walker Lake. The map illustrates a complex intersection of military, tribal, and mining interests during the mid-1980s. To the north, the Walker River Indian Reservation surrounds the settlement of Schurz, where the Walker River enters the lake. The high peaks of the Wassuk Range, including Mt Grant, tower over the western shoreline, while the Southern Pacific railroad tracks trace the industrial corridor through Hawthorne and toward Luning. This period of the Nevada desert is marked by isolated resource extraction sites like the Northern Lights Mine and Gundaker Mill, positioned in the arid reaches between Gabbs Valley and the Garfield Hills.