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1965 Map of Wellton SE

Name: 1965 Topographic Map of Wellton SE
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1985
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1985

About this map

The arid landscape of the Lechuguilla Desert and the Mohawk Valley dominates this mid-1960s survey, illustrating a region defined by its military use and topographical extremes. Much of the central territory is occupied by the Luke Air Force Range, a vast expanse of restricted land that overlays the local geography. The map captures the physical transition between the Wellton Hills and the Copper Mountains, where the elevation culminates at Coyote Peak.

Evidence of human activity is sparse but significant for researchers of the era's desert operations. Several Mines are noted within the foothills of the Wellton Hills, pointing to the region's intermittent mineral exploration. Water sources, critical in this environment, are represented by Baker Tanks in the northeast and the ephemeral drainage of Coyote Wash. The map reflects a period when this part of Yuma County was primarily utilized for military training and resource extraction rather than settlement.