FMMP - Merced area time series

There are an assortment of changes represented in this central part of Merced County. In addition to new urban areas (in red), land moves out of irrigated agricultural uses (shades of green) to Farmland of Local Importance (yellow) or Grazing Land (brown) as it is left idle, depending on the quality of the underlying soil. Conversely, foothill grazing areas in the central-northern section were planted to orchards or other high value crops, changing from yellow to green. Expansion of confined animal agriculture facilities (Other Land, in gray) occurs in the western section of the image. The level of detail within the irrigated categories in the 2002 frame is the result of the incorporation of SSURGO digital soil data. Information on these changes was gathered from air photos, local comments, and field reconnaissance. Area shown is approximately 12 miles east-west and 7.5 miles north-south.

Merced County has averaged just under 1,000 acres of new Urban land per biennial map update throughout the 1990's.

A brief history of the Merced area

Merced County is located in the middle of the San Joaquin Valley and was first settled in 1834 as part of the San Luis Gonzaga Land Grant. After the discovery of gold in 1849, sheep, cattle, and grain growing fed the needs of miners. Over the years, agriculture has played a major role in the county's economy with milk, chickens, almonds, cattle, and tomatoes becoming some of its top commodities.

The City of Merced was incorporated in 1889 and serves as the county seat. For many years the city depended on agriculture and nearby Castle Air Force Base for its economic stability, however with the 1995 closure of the base, the city’s economy has increasingly relied on warehouses and distribution centers, packaging facilities, and the fiberglass boat building industry. The population has grown 20% from 1980-2004 (from about 56,200 to 67,500). The city has been selected for the next University of California campus, which is expected to accommodate 25,000 students when construction is completed in the coming years.

The City of Atwater was incorporated in 1922 and was known for its agricultural heritage and Castle Air Force Base. When the base closed in 1995, the population declined by 2,400 over a two-year period. Since then, population growth has rebounded (3.7% from 1990 to 2000 and 7.9% from 2002 to 2003) and Castle has undergone redevelopment that includes the Atwater Federal Penitentiary.

Division of Land Resource Protection