1972 Map of Joe Bay

About this map

Everglades National Park dominates this 1970s orthophotomap, showing a complex aquatic environment where the southern Florida mainland meets the Gulf. The landscape is defined by intricate tidal channels and mangrove-shrouded basins like Joe Bay and Little Madeira Bay. Unlike traditional topographic maps, this aerial-based survey uses color photography to reveal the actual density of vegetation and the subtle gradations of water depth across Florida Bay. Small islands and distinct landforms such as Eagle Key, Tern Keys, and the Palm Hammock provide rare solid ground amidst the expansive wetlands. Significant waterways including Devil Creek and Trout Cr drain the interior marshes into Davis Cove. The absence of roads or established trails on the sheet emphasizes the wilderness character of this region during the early 1970s, as researchers and conservationists documented the fragile boundary between fresh and salt water.