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2003 Map of Rapides

Name: 2003 Topographic Map of Rapides
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 2005
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 2005

About this map

The Red River floodplain dominates the northern half of this landscape, where a complex network of levees and bayous such as Bertrand Bayou and Big Bayou protects agricultural lands and rural settlements. Near the river, the State/FS Welcome Center and several local congregations like St Matthews Ch and Methodist Ch anchor the community of Rapides. The presence of the England Air Park and the Central Louisiana State Hospital highlights the area's institutional and military infrastructure as Alexandria begins to expand westward.

Contrasting the flat river bottoms, the southwestern portion of the sheet rises into the Kisatchie Hills within the Kisatchie National Forest. This wooded terrain is defined by the Kincaid Reservoir, which provides a focal point for the Kincaid Recreation Area. Numerous smaller waterways, including Tiger Bayou and Persimmon Bayou, drain these highlands towards the central basin, where various local landmarks like the East Kincaid Boat Ramp and Lamothe Bridge mark the transition between the forest and the valley.