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1947 Map of Buras

Name: 1947 Topographic Map of Buras
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1947
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1947

About this map

The Mississippi River creates a narrow, vital corridor of land through the delta marshlands of Plaquemines Parish, where the settlements of Buras and Ostrica cling to the riverbanks. This 1940s landscape is defined by the thin strip of infrastructure following the river, including State Highway No 31 and the Missouri Pacific Railroad. Beyond this levee-protected ribbon, the terrain dissolves into an intricate maze of saltwater bays and marsh bayous that reach toward the Gulf of Mexico.

Insight into the region's historical geography is found in the scattered outposts like Scofield and the complex naming of water bodies such as Bay Pomme D'or and Bay Coquette. The presence of Mitchell Cut and various unnamed ditches suggests the early efforts to navigate and manage the wetlands. This survey, compiled from Army Air Corps photography, documents the delicate balance between the shipping channel of the river and the encroaching coastal waters of Adams Bay and Scofield Bay.