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1951 Map of Martello Castle

Name: 1951 Topographic Map of Martello Castle
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1963
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1963

About this map

Martello Castle stands as a lonely historical sentinel overlooking the expansive waters of Lake Borgne. This mid-century survey documents the intricate coastal hydrology where the boundary between St Bernard Parish and Orleans Parish follows the winding course of Bayou Bienvenue. The map details a complex network of waterways essential to local navigation and drainage, including the Lake Borgne Canal and the New Canal.

Evidence of human alteration to the wetlands appears in the long, straight channels of the canal systems, contrasting with the sinuous natural paths of Bayou Dupre, Bayou Terre-Beau, and Grand Bayou. For those studying the evolution of the Louisiana coastline, the map records the precise positioning of Shell Beach Bayou and Mosquito Bayou before decades of coastal change, providing a clear record of the marshes as they existed in the early 1950s.