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1955 Map of Beechey Point A-1

Name: 1955 Topographic Map of Beechey Point A-1
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1967
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1967

About this map

The Arctic coastline of the North Slope is defined by a labyrinth of thermokarst lakes and braided waterways in this mid-century survey. Dominating the hydrography is the Shaviovik River, which bifurcates across a low-lying tundra landscape before emptying into Mikkelsen Bay and Foggy Island Bay. These coastal waters are punctuated by landforms like Tigvariak Island, featuring a prominent Lookout Tower and Reliance Point.

Evidence of seasonal travel and subsistence in this remote environment is captured by the Winter Trail cutting through the western portion of the quadrangle. Human presence is sparse, marked primarily by isolated coastal structures such as the Cabin near Eliza and the surveying marker at Tigvariak W Base. This map records a specific moment in the mid-1950s, documenting the untouched drainage patterns of the Kavik River and Kadleroshilik River prior to the large-scale industrialization of the region's oil fields.