1951 Map of North Islands

About this map

The Breton National Wildlife Refuge encompasses the fragile, shifting landscapes of the North Islands and a portion of the Chandeleur Islands in this early 1950s survey. Located in St. Bernard Parish, this maritime environment is defined by the separation of the sheltered Chandeleur Sound and Shoalwater Bay from the open Gulf of Mexico. The map reflects a period before significant coastal erosion and storm cycles further altered these barrier islands, which serve as critical habitats and protective buffers for the Louisiana mainland.