2024 Map of Onward

About this map

Theodore Roosevelt National Wildlife Refuge dominates the landscape of the lower Mississippi Delta, preserving the complex wetland ecosystems of Issaquena and Sharkey counties. The area is defined by a dense network of meandering waterways, including the prominent Deer Creek, Steele Bayou, and Black Bayou, which reflect the region's alluvial history. Small, dispersed settlements like Onward, Smedes, and Kelso are connected by a grid of rural roads such as Low Water Bridge Rd and Black Bayou Rd, tracing the higher ground between the bayous.