1971 Map of Main Pass

About this map

Delta National Wildlife Refuge dominates this coastal landscape, where the freshwater outflow of the Mississippi River delta meets the Gulf of Mexico. This 1971 orthophotomap provides a unique visual record of the fragile marshland geography, showing the intricate network of splay deposits and sediment-rich waterways that define the region. Industrial activity is woven directly into the conservation area, evidenced by the Romere Oil and Gas Field and the Delta Duck Oil Field, which are marked by numerous oil wells, pipelines, and sludge pits. Named water bodies such as Main Pass and Romere Pass serve as primary arterial channels, while dozens of family-named or descriptive ponds like Bennies Pond, Gauthier Pond, and Speckled Goose Pond illustrate the fine-grained local nomenclature of the Plaquemines Parish wetlands.