1935 Map of Bay Courant

About this map

Catfish Lake and Lake Raccourci dominate this intricate 1935 coastal survey of the wetlands straddling the Terrebonne Parish and Lafourche Parish line. At this mid-1930s moment, the landscape is a labyrinth of interconnected waterways and marshlands, including the wide Bay Courant and Deep Lake. The map details a transition from inland fresh water to the tidally influenced bays of the Gulf coast, with long-standing bayous like Bayou Labourche and Bayou Blue serving as primary corridors through the swamp. Many of the features carry names reflecting the cultural heritage of the region, such as Jean Plaisance Bay and Bayou Chinaman. This survey, compiled from early Air Corps aerial photography, captures the coastal geomorphology before the significant erosion and canal-cutting of the later twentieth century altered the southern Louisiana shoreline.