2019 Map of High Island

About this map

High Island stands as a prominent elevation surrounded by the salt marshes and bayous of the Texas Gulf Coast. This area is defined by the transition from the Gulf of Mexico through the Intracoastal Waterway and into the sprawling wetlands of Horseshoe Marsh and Lower Marsh. The settlement at Gilchrist sits narrow along the coast, where the local economy and geography are tied to the water. Numerous water bodies like Smith Pond, Clay Bottom Pond, and Clark Lake dot the landscape near the Chambers and Galveston county line. The map reveals a complex network of bayous, including Onion Bayou, East Bay Bayou, and Brushy Bend Bayou, which carve through terrain features like Devils Elbow and Brant Island. This 2019 survey documents the modern layout of the coastal salt dome and the infrastructure supporting this environmentally significant region.