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A Remarkable Composite Irrigation Map of Southern California

The present composite printed and manuscript map is almost certainly the most comprehensive irrigation map of Southern California produced during Southern California's first boom years. Combining a published set of irrigation maps created by the California State Department of Engineering with finely executed manuscript details covering irrigations districts, coastal features and township survey information not on the printed map, the resulting work is without question the single largest and most up to date map covering Southern California water and irrigation features published (and drawn) in the 19th Century.

The map was issued to accompany a Report on irrigation and water supply by William Hammond Hall, State Engineer. The map was prepared on a scale 1 1/2 Inches to One Mile. George Sandow, Draughtsman. Photolithography by Britton & Rey in San Francisco.

The map consists of 12 printed map sheets,plus extensive hand drawn additions, to create a single large map of Southern California, extending a far south as the Newport Beach area, Lake Elsinore (not shown) and the San Jacinto and Pleasant Valley Irrigation Association (Hemet area)

The printed portion of the map map consists of 12 detailed maps, showing townships, ranges and sections, physical and cultural geographical features, ranchos, and irrigation works, including canals, artesian wells, relief, swamps, railroads, roads, dry washes, pipelines, etc.

The printed maps identify the holdings of various water and land companies, colonies, and individual landowners. "Irrigated lands" and "Lands for which water is held" are identified. Irrigation systems often differentiated by owner usually a ranch, land company, or colony name.

The additional Irrigation Districts, located in then southern San Bernardino County (Riverside County was not created until 1893), are:

• Alessandro Irrigation District
• Perris Irrigation District
• San Jacinto and Pleasant Valley Irrigation District

The coastline north of Newport Harbor, part of Palisverdes Peninsula and the area between Redondo Beach and Venice are added in manuscript as are large sections of what is now Riverside County.

Rarity

The printed 12 sheet map is extremely rare. The Huntington Library holds a single sheet only and we find no records of any examples on the market.

On line, we locate an example in the digital holdings of David Rumsey, which notes that the maps are scanned from the holdings of the Water Resources Center Archives, University of California Library. OCLC lists other locations at the various UC California campuses, but the sizes given suggests that these are probably reproductions.