1974 Map of California Slough

About this map

Big Cypress National Preserve defines this landscape of wetlands and water management systems in the mid-1970s. This orthophotomap combines traditional topographic surveying with 1971 aerial photography, revealing the intricate patterns of the Wood Lake Strand and the open expanses of Doctors Prairie. Human intervention is marked by the sharp geometric lines of the Everglades Parkway (Toll Road), which cuts horizontally across the central terrain. Along the eastern edge, the Levee 28 Interceptor Canal traces the Collier Co Broward Co boundary, illustrating the massive hydrological engineering required to manage the flow through the California Slough. This map provides a clear view of the wilderness just as environmental protection and water control infrastructure were reaching their modern configuration.