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1987 Map of West Palm Beach

Name: 1987 Topographic Map of West Palm Beach
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1988
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1988

About this map

Lake Okeechobee serves as the hydrological anchor for this 1980s landscape, where massive water conservation efforts and agricultural development meet the natural wetlands of the south. The map illustrates the complex drainage network of the interior, including the Caloosahatchee River and numerous sloughs like Telegraph Swamp and Okaloacoochee Slough. Coastal urbanization is evident along the Atlantic, with dense growth in West Palm Beach, while the Gulf Coast shows the expanding footprints of Cape Coral and Naples.

Transit corridors like Alligator Alley and the Florida East Coast railway define the movement of people and goods across the peninsula. Large protected tracts, including the Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge and the Big Cypress Seminole Indian Reservation, stand in contrast to the emerging suburbs and the industrial presence of the Hendry Correctional Institute. From the cypress strands of the west to the barrier islands of the east, this survey provides a comprehensive look at South Florida's managed environment before the turn of the century.