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1983 Map of Branch

Name: 1983 Topographic Map of Branch
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1991
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1991

About this map

Bayou Plaquemine Brule and its complex network of drainage channels, including Hazelwood Gully and Biedeman Gully, dominate this landscape in Acadia Parish. The terrain is marked by the industrial footprint of the North Crowley Oil and Gas Field, where numerous wells and an extensive pipeline network crisscross the rural acreage. This 1980s survey illustrates a specialized aviation and agricultural economy, noted by several private airfields such as the Hensgens Landing Strip and Habetz Landing Strip.

Settlement is concentrated around the community of Branch and the northern outskirts of Rayne. Local family history is preserved in numerous small burial grounds and parish churches, including Branch Cem, Hebert Cem, and Maryland Ch. The transition from natural bayous to engineered waterways like Coulee Grande Ditch reflects the long-standing efforts to manage the low-lying prairie for oil extraction and farming.