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1987 Map of Indian Lake

Name: 1987 Topographic Map of Indian Lake
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1987
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1987

About this map

The Tensas River and Bayou Macon define this corner of northeast Louisiana, where the border between Madison Parish and Franklin Parish winds through a dense network of bottomland waterways. This 1980s survey illustrates a landscape managed for conservation and drainage, dominated by the Tensas National Wildlife Refuge and the Big Lake State Wildlife Management Area. The hydraulic engineering of the era is evident in the Bakers Cut-off, a channelization effort designed to manage the flow of the bayou.

Beyond the primary rivers, the map records numerous oxbows and smaller named bodies of water such as Africa Lake, Indian Lake, and Judd Lake. A solitary Landing Strip near the western parish line provides one of the few pieces of aviation infrastructure in this low-lying, swampy terrain. The presence of Bakers Brake and Lick Bayou further emphasizes the wetland character of the region before modern development patterns could fully encroach.