1984 Map of Harrisonburg

About this map

Harrisonburg sits at a critical bend where the Ouachita River snakes through the lowlands of Catahoula Parish. This mid-1980s survey captures a landscape defined by its complex hydrology, where the Boeuf River joins the Ouachita amidst a dense network of sloughs and backwaters. To the east, the rising terrain of the Sicily Island Hills State Wildlife Management Area provides a stark contrast to the alluvial plains. The map records numerous named water bodies that speak to the shifting nature of the river over time, including Gastis Lake, Stafford Lake, and Sargent Lake. These oxbows and bayous, such as Louis Bayou and Kelley Bayou, delineate the historical drainage patterns that shaped local settlement and land use long before the era of modern water management.