1951 Map of New Harbor Islands

About this map

The Chandeleur Islands stretch across this coastal survey, forming a delicate barrier between the open Gulf of Mexico and the inner waters of Breton Sound. Much of this island chain and the nearby New Harbor Islands are protected within the Breton National Wildlife Refuge, highlighting the ecological significance of this remote marsh and beach environment in the early 1950s. The map provides precise bathymetric data, tracing the depths of Smack Channel and the shallow reaches of Shoalwater Bay. Notable landmarks such as Redfish Point and the North Islands serve as critical reference points for mariners navigating the shifting sands and inlets of the Louisiana coast. This record documents the shoreline profile as it existed before decades of coastal erosion and tropical storms further reshaped the archipelago.