2020 Map of Grand Chenier

About this map

Grand Chenier Ridge and several parallel topographic highs dominate this coastal landscape, providing the only stable ground for settlements like Grand Chenier amidst the expansive wetlands of Cameron Parish. These ridges, or cheniers, represent ancient shorelines now stranded inland by deltaic processes, creating a unique pattern of linear habitation surrounded by marshes and water bodies such as Upper Mud Lake and Little Chenier Bayou. The southern edge of the map is defined by the Mermentau River and the engineered Mermentau River Navigational Channel, which facilitate waterborne transit through the region. Local infrastructure is confined to these elevated strips, with Little Chenier Rd and Parish Rd 216 following the crests of Little Chenier Ridge and Chenier Perdue Ridge respectively, illustrating how geological history dictates modern human geography in the Louisiana wetlands.