1978 Map of Great Machipongo Inlet

About this map

Cobb Island and the southern tip of Hog Island dominate this 1978 orthophotoquad, showing the dynamic shifting sands of Virginia's Eastern Shore. This imagery, captured by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the Soil Conservation Service, provides a literal photographic record of the barrier island morphology before the influence of later decades. The deep passage of Great Machipongo Inlet separates the two landmasses, serving as the primary connection between the restless Atlantic Ocean and the more sheltered waters of Hog Island Bay. For those studying coastal erosion or the maritime history of Northampton County, this map records the precise footprint of these ever-changing landforms as they stood in the late seventies.