1934 Map of Sweet Lake

About this map

The marshy expanses of Cameron Parish are defined here by a complex web of natural bayous and early industrial water management systems as they existed in the mid-1930s. The Intracoastal Waterway cuts a straight path through the landscape, bypassing the irregular curves of Connie Bayou and Bols Bayou. This period of coastal development is marked by an extensive grid of drainage projects, including No 1 Canal, No 2 Canal, and No 3 Canal, which crisscross the Grosse Savanne to manage the low-lying wetlands. Small settlements like Willow and Sweet Lake appear as isolated hubs along the terrestrial fringes, connected by State Highway No 42. To the south and west, the terrain transitions into the open waters of Calcasieu Lake and the branching tidal channels of the North Prong of Grand Bayou.