2018 Map of Portage

About this map

Portage sits at the southwestern edge of the Atchafalaya Basin Floodway, a landscape defined by an intricate network of waterways and levee systems. This modern survey illustrates the hydrology of St. Martin Parish and St. Landry Parish, where the Atchafalaya River and Bayou Courtableau dominate the drainage patterns. The map records the engineered environment necessary for flood control, including the Spillway Levee Rd and the Portage Levee Rd, which separate the inhabited areas from the low-lying swamps of the basin. Within these wetlands, numerous named channels like Bayou Fusilier of the Swamps, Lost Bayou, and English Bayou reveal the complex natural drainage that persists alongside agricultural development. Toward the south, Lake Bigeux and the Grand Canal highlight the transition into the deeper swamp interior, while local routes like Alex Richard Rd and Blanc Cormier Rd connect the rural homesteads near the settlement of Portage.