1948 Map of Bayou Blanc

About this map

Russell Sage Foundation State Game Refuge dominates this coastal survey, covering the interior of Marsh Island along the Louisiana coast. The landscape is a complex labyrinth of coastal marshes and internal lagoons, such as Lake Michael, Lake Tom, and Lake Blanc. These shallow interior waters are linked by a dense network of tidal channels including Worm Bayou and Blanc Bayou. The map illustrates a transitional environment between the sheltered West Cote Blanche Bay to the north and the open Gulf of Mexico to the south. This era of mapping shows the island before significant modern coastal erosion, preserving the intricate drainage patterns of the West Branch and East Branch Oyster Bayou as they meander toward the southern coastline.