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2015 Map of Belle Isle

Name: 2015 Topographic Map of Belle Isle
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 2015
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 2015

About this map

Belle Isle and the surrounding deltaic wetlands of St. Mary Parish dominate this coastal landscape at the edge of the Gulf of Mexico. The area is defined by an intricate network of moving water, where the Wax Lake Outlet and New Pass channel sediment into the gulf, forming landforms like Grass Island and Goat Island. Small settlements and named locations such as Fivemile Oaks and Negro Hammock sit on the higher ground of the marsh, showing the tenuous footprint of human habitation in this amphibious environment.

The map reveals a complex hydrography of bayous and passes, including Sixmile Bayou, Big Wax Bayou, and Coalboat Pass. These waterways are central to the region's character, serving as the primary arteries for movement before the land gives way to Belle Isle Lake and the open sea. The presence of Leopard Point and various named bayous like Leopard Bayou and Bear Fork Bayou highlights a landscape governed more by tides and seasonal flow than by traditional terrestrial development.