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1966 Map of Belle Isle

Name: 1966 Topographic Map of Belle Isle
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1981
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1981

About this map

Belle Isle rises as a prominent topographical feature amidst the expansive marshlands and bayous where the Atchafalaya basin meets the Gulf of Mexico. This coastal landscape is defined by its industrial activity and complex water network, featuring the sprawling Big Gas and Oil Field and the Leopard Gas Field. A web of infrastructure including numerous pipelines and submerged cables crisscrosses the wetlands, reflecting the energy economy of St. Mary Parish during the late 1960s and subsequent photorevised updates.

The hydrological system is dominated by the Wax Lake Outlet and New Wax Lake Pass, which channel freshwater toward Atchafalaya Bay. Historic terrain markers like Fivemile Oaks, Negro Hammock, and Leopard Point provide essential landmarks in a region largely consisting of shifting mudflats and winding channels such as Bear Fork Bayou and Coalboat Pass. The presence of an offshore platform further underscores the intersection of natural deltaic processes and the extraction industry.