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1936 Map of Mouth Of Rio Grande

Name: 1936 Topographic Map of Mouth Of Rio Grande
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1936
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1936

About this map

The Rio Grande winds through a complex coastal landscape of tidal flats and low hills in this 1930s survey of the southernmost tip of Texas. This map documents a transitional period for the border region, featuring the Mouth of Rio Grande where the river meets the Gulf of Mexico. The terrain is characterized by a series of lomas, or small clay dunes, such as Loma de la Estrella and Loma de los Ebanitos, which rise above the surrounding marshes of the Laguna Madre.

Strategic infrastructure of the era is evident, including the U S Army Rifle Range and the Port Isabel Pumping Station. Water management is a central theme, shown through the Port Isabel Aqueduct and the presence of a river-cut banco, Stell-Lind Banco No 128, which reflects the shifting nature of the international boundary between the United States and Mexico. The Boca Chica Highway provides the primary link across these wetlands to the coast at Boca Chica Beach.