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2015 Map of Empire

Name: 2015 Topographic Map of Empire
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 2015
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 2015

About this map

The Mississippi River snakes through the heart of Plaquemines Parish in this 2015 study, defining a landscape where narrow ribbons of habitable land are flanked by sprawling marsh and open water. The settlement of Empire anchors the southern portion of the sheet, characterized by its commercial waterway access via Doullut Canal and its proximity to the Gulf Of Mexico. Moving north along the river's western bank, the communities of Tropical Bend, Nairn, and Hesperides follow the path of La 23, illustrating the traditional linear settlement pattern common to the Mississippi delta.

Water management and local history are etched into the geography, from the Pointe A La Hache Relief Outlet to small family and community burial grounds such as Nairn Cem, Cannon Cem, and Point Pleasant Cem. Beyond the protective levees, the map reveals a complex network of bays and bayous, including Spanish Pass and Auguste Bay, which lead into the vast California Bay area. This document captures the fragile balance between human habitation and the advancing waters of the Gulf.