1959 Map of Cannibal Island

About this map

Cannibal Island and the surrounding marshlands dominate this 1950s coastal survey, revealing a landscape defined by an intricate network of sloughs and reclaimed agricultural land. Protective structures such as the extensive levee system along McNulty Slough and Hawk Slough illustrate the ongoing effort to manage the tidal influence of the Pacific Ocean and the Eel River. To the north, the Table Bluff Lighthouse Coast Guard Reservation stands atop the prominent Table Bluff, overlooking the South Spit that separates the open ocean from the calm waters of South Bay. Local infrastructure is concentrated along roads like Copenhagen Road and Cannibal Road, where the Eel River School served the rural community of Ocean Ranch. The mapping includes purple revisions from the early 1970s, showing changes to the Sand Dunes and shoreline before modern environmental shifts further altered this Humboldt County delta.