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1935 Map of South Pass

Name: 1935 Topographic Map of South Pass
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1964
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1964

About this map

Port Eads serves as a critical outpost at the edge of the Gulf of Mexico, marking the narrow passage where the Mississippi River delta meets the sea. This 1935 field examination reveals the intricate network of distributaries and marshes that define Plaquemines Parish, featuring a labyrinth of water bodies such as Valentiers Pond, Loomis Pond, and Johnson Pond. The maritime character of the region is emphasized by the Pilot Sta and the South Pass L H, alongside the engineered East Jetty and West Jetty that direct the flow of the South Pass.

Navigation through this shifting landscape relied on a series of secondary channels including Cognievich Pass, Dennis Pass, and Lookout Pass. The map details the complex land-water interface of Garden Island Bay and East Bay, providing a record of the delta's geography before significant coastal erosion and subsidence altered the shoreline. Surveyed just as aerial photography began to modernize coastal mapping, this document preserves the precise locations of small settlements and maritime infrastructure crucial to the river's pilotage system.