1984 Map of Simmons Bottom

About this map

Simmons Bottom and its surrounding wetlands define the low-lying geography of this corner of Liberty County during the mid-1970s and early 1980s. The landscape is dominated by a complex hydrological network where Luce Bayou and Tarkington Bayou converge, creating a riparian environment characterized by slow-moving water and seasonal inundation. To the northeast, the terrain transitions into the Prairie Marsh and a feature simply identified as the Gully, while Long John Creek drains the southern reaches of the quadrangle. This 1984 provisional survey captures the region just as modern infrastructure, including a network of pipelines and service roads, began to cut across the traditional bottomlands. For those researching the environmental history of the Trinity River basin, the map provides a precise record of the natural drainage patterns and land-use divisions before further suburban expansion or industrial development altered the local water table.