1996 Map of Ile Natchitoches

About this map

The Red River creates a meandering border between Concordia and Avoyelles Parishes, defining a landscape of wetlands and conservation lands in the mid-1990s. This territory is heavily managed for preservation, dominated by the Lake Ophelia National Wildlife Refuge and the Natchitoches Wildlife Management Area. The map reveals a complex hydraulic system of bayous and lakes, from Lac à Madame Lee in the north to the Bayou De L'Isle and Ile Natchitoches Bayou further south. While much of the land is dedicated to wildlife, the presence of the Catfish Bayou Oil Field and various dispersed drill sites indicates the active intersection of natural resource extraction and environmental protection. Openings in the bottomland hardwood forest are identified by names like Wolf Prairie and Pointe Basse, reflecting a terrain shaped by centuries of river movement and flooding.