2024 Map of Portage

About this map

The Portage area of St. Landry and St. Martin Parishes is defined by its position within the massive hydrological system of the Atchafalaya Basin Floodway. The landscape is a complex network of bayous, including the Bayou Courtableau, English Bayou, and the poetically named Bayou Fusilier of the Swamps. Human engineering is visible through the presence of the Grand Canal and the extensive Spillway Levee Road, which protects lower-lying areas from the seasonal shifts of the Atchafalaya River. This environment shows a clear divide between the agricultural and residential clusters near Portage and the vast, unpopulated wetlands of the floodway. The intricate system of waterways, such as the Bayou Courtableau Outlet Channel, illustrates the region's ongoing reliance on water management and drainage infrastructure to maintain the boundary between swamp and settlement.