1971 Map of Grassy Key

About this map

Florida Bay dominates the northern half of this orthophotomap, showing the complex aquatic environment of the Middle Keys in the early 1970s. The map illustrates the linear development along the Overseas Highway, where small island communities like Conch Key and Grassy Key are linked by significant engineering works like the Long Key Viaduct. The transition from the natural landscape of Everglades National Park at the northern edge to the increasingly developed terrain of Duck Key is evident, particularly with the inclusion of a Golf Course and a Sewage Disposal site on the latter. This survey provides a precise look at the hydrography of the era, marking the Intracoastal Waterway and the various banks and passes, such as Channel Key Pass, that define the shallow waters between the keys and the deeper Hawk Channel to the south.