The Plate No. 16 Trinity River, Texas Galveston Bay to Fort Worth Topographic Map offers a detailed look at one of Texas’s most important river corridors. Created by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and dated on Wikimedia Commons to a range between 1940 and 1960, the map traces the Trinity River system from the Gulf Coast inland toward Fort Worth. It serves as both a geographic reference and a record of how engineers and planners studied the river and its surrounding landscape during the mid-20th century.【turn863133view0†L118-L137】
A Map of an Important Texas Waterway
The Trinity River has played a major role in the history and development of Texas. Flowing through a large part of the state, it connects inland communities with the coastal region near Galveston Bay. A map like this helps show the size and reach of the river corridor, as well as its importance to transportation, settlement, flood control, and land use.
Because the map extends from Galveston Bay all the way to Fort Worth, it gives a broad view of how the river links very different parts of Texas, from coastal environments to inland urban areas.
Topography and River Planning
One of the most valuable aspects of a topographic map is that it shows more than just location. It also helps explain the shape of the land. Elevation, river paths, floodplain areas, and nearby terrain all help readers understand how water moves through the landscape.
For a river such as the Trinity, this kind of mapping would have been especially useful for engineering, navigation studies, drainage planning, and flood management. The Trinity River has long been associated with flood-control projects and regional planning, so a map like this reflects the practical need to study the waterway in detail.
From Coast to Inland Texas
The route shown on the map highlights the connection between Galveston Bay and the inland part of North Texas. This is significant because rivers often served as natural corridors that influenced where communities grew and how land was used.
The inclusion of Fort Worth in the title also shows the large geographic range being considered. Rather than focusing on a single town or county, the map looks at a major regional system. That makes it useful for understanding Texas on a wider scale.
Historical Importance of the Map
This map is important because it reflects how government agencies documented and analyzed Texas landscapes during the mid-20th century. Produced by the Office of the Chief of Engineers, Southwestern Division, Galveston District, it was part of a larger effort to record and study waterways and terrain. Today, it provides a historical snapshot of how the Trinity River system was viewed for planning and reference purposes.
For anyone interested in Texas rivers, engineering history, or geographic mapping, this topographic map offers a valuable look at one of the state’s defining natural features.