1955 Map of Beechey Point

About this map

Beechey Point and the surrounding coastline of the Beaufort Sea are shown here as they existed in the mid-1950s, more than a decade before the discovery of major oil fields transformed the region. The landscape is a complex web of thaw lakes and braided river systems, most notably the Sagavanirktok River and the Kuparuk River, which flow northward toward the Arctic Ocean. Long chains of barrier islands, such as the Jones Islands, Return Islands, and McClure Islands, provide shelter for shallow coastal waters like Simpson Lagoon and Gwydyr Bay. The presence of small cabins and the established point at Beechey reflect a sparse but significant human footprint focused on the coast. This survey documents the area's natural drainage patterns and the strategic coastline around Prudhoe Bay prior to its industrial development, offering a baseline for understanding the environmental history of the North Slope.