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1986 Map of West of Nelson Lake

Name: 1986 Topographic Map of West of Nelson Lake
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1986
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1986

About this map

Federal land management and high-tech instrumentation define this 1986 survey of the California high desert. The landscape is bifurcated by the San Bernardino Meridian, which separates the U S Naval Reservation to the west from the Fort Irwin Military Reservation to the east. This intersection of military interests is punctuated by sophisticated scientific installations, most notably the Deep Space Network's Mars antenna site, accompanied by a Radio Telescope and Radio Tower.

The rugged eastern edge of the Granite Mountains dominates the northern terrain, while the southern reaches descend toward the dry bed of Goldstone Lake. Local industry is evidenced by scattered Borrow Pits and a Quarry, likely used for the construction and maintenance of the specialized roads serving the telescopes. The inclusion of a Monument and a Sewage Pond further highlights the infrastructure required to support remote desert operations in the mid-1980s.