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1971 Map of Main Pass

Name: 1971 Topographic Map of Main Pass
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1974
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1974

About this map

Delta National Wildlife Refuge dominates this coastal landscape, protecting a complex network of wetlands and open water at the mouth of the Mississippi River delta. The 1971 survey illustrates the precarious balance between natural conservation and industrial extraction, with the Rowere Pass Oil and Gas Field and Delta Dock Oil Field situated directly alongside sensitive marshes. These industrial sites are marked by numerous sludge pits and oil wells, indicating the intensive energy production occurring within the delta during the early 1970s.

Waterways like Main Pass and Octave Pass carve through the fragmented land, creating isolated islands such as Scarabin Island and Contrariete Island. Dozens of named water bodies, including Gauthier Pond, Blackbird Pond, and Seagull Pond, suggest a dynamic environment shaped by tidal influence and siltation. The presence of dams and a light near Tessiers Bend highlights the ongoing efforts to manage water flow and coastal navigation in this rapidly changing ecosystem.