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1966 Map of Lake Salve

Name: 1966 Topographic Map of Lake Salve
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1986
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1986

About this map

The low-lying wetlands of St. Mary Parish dominate this mid-century landscape, where the Lower Atchafalaya River empties into East Bay and Atchafalaya Bay. The map reveals a complex hydraulic environment defined by named bayous like Big Wax Bayou, Big Bull Bayou, and Big Doctors Bayou. Settlement is sparse and focused on higher ground or specific sites like Beadles and the evocatively named Wetfoot Hammocks and Live Oak Hammock.

Industrial activity in the delta is marked by extensive energy infrastructure, including the Belle Isle Gas and Oil Field and the Sweetbay Lake Oil and Gas Field. A network of pipelines and numerous drill holes suggests the mid-century expansion of the petroleum industry into these coastal marshes. Water bodies such as Lake Salve, Spanish Lake, and Bateman Lake are connected by a web of natural and modified channels, illustrating the region's historical reliance on water for transport and industry.