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1952 Map of Palacios SE

Name: 1952 Topographic Map of Palacios SE
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1982
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1982

About this map

The Matagorda Peninsula forms a narrow, shifting barrier between the Gulf of Mexico and the interior waters of Matagorda Bay in this mid-century coastal survey. This stretch of the Texas coastline is defined by its isolation and the intricate network of tidal inlets, including Maverick Bayou, Big Bayou, and Long Bayou, which carve through the salt marsh and dunes.

Navigation and coastal industry are evident through the presence of the Intracoastal Waterway cutting behind Mad Island Lake. An intriguing detail for maritime historians is the notation of Submerged Iron Rails near the eastern edge of the peninsula, hinting at lost infrastructure or wreckage. The map also records several benchmarks such as BM 10 and BM 12 along the dunes, and oyster-bearing features like Mad Island Reef and Shell Island Reef within the bay's shallow waters.