2016 Map of Blessing SE

About this map

The Colorado River dominates the eastern edge of this coastal prairie landscape, winding through a network of riparian channels including the W Br Colorado River and Lake Le Tulle. This 2016 survey illustrates the heavy industrial and agricultural management of Matagorda County's water resources, most notably through the massive Cooling Water Reservoir that occupies a significant portion of the southern terrain. This artificial water body is surrounded by a grid of rural roads and sloughs, such as Johnsons-Timber Slough and Willow Dam Slough, which drain the low-lying acreage between the river and local ranch lands. Smaller natural features like Kelly Lake and the marshy grounds of Wild Cow Island provide a stark contrast to the engineered geometry of the reservoir, revealing the complex drainage patterns of the Texas Gulf Coast as they appeared in the mid-2010s.