1982 Map of Crystal Lake

About this map

The dense karst landscape of the Florida Panhandle is strikingly visible in this orthophotomap, where the boundary of Washington Co and Bay Co cuts through a high concentration of circular sinkhole lakes. This specialized topographic study uses aerial imagery from the mid-1970s to provide a photographic view of the terrain, contrasting the geometric patterns of managed timberlands and clearings against the irregular shorelines of water bodies like Big Blue Lake and Compass Lake. In the northern section, prominent features such as Open Lake and Major Lake dominate the wooded interior. Further south, the landscape becomes increasingly fragmented by smaller basins including Bream Lake, Fivemile Lake, and Shirt Tail Lake. Traces of human activity are sparse but distinct, from the secluded Landing Strip near Court Martial Lake to the drainage networks of Cedar Creek and North Branch.