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1977 Map of Lake Drummond NW

Name: 1977 Topographic Map of Lake Drummond NW
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1987
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1987

About this map

Great Dismal Swamp dominates this landscape, showing a complex network of artificial waterways that defined the region's historical drainage and industrial efforts. Based on 1973 aerial photography and 1940 planetable surveys, the orthophotomap reveals the dense forest cover and precise lines of the Washington Ditch and Western Ditch. These straight-line channels, including Williamson Ditch and Hudnell Ditch, reflect centuries of attempts to manage the water levels of this expansive wetland.

The boundary between Suffolk City and Chesapeake City cuts through the swamp, which is largely protected within the Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge. A solitary Lookout Tower stands as a landmark amidst the heavy vegetation and intersecting paths of Big Entry Ditch and Rosemary Ditch, providing a detailed look at the hydrology of the Virginia tideland before modern environmental shifts.