1954 Map of Bethel C-6

About this map

Three Step Mountain rises above a sprawling landscape of wetlands and meandering waterways in this mid-century survey of the Alaska interior. The terrain is defined by the complex drainage systems of the Kwethluk River, which dominates the western portion of the map, and the Akulikutak River, which cuts through the center. To the north, the Kushluk River winds across the tundra, while Columbia Creek appears in the northeast. This 1954 data, compiled through photogrammetric methods from aerial photographs, reveals a wilderness devoid of roads or permanent settlements at the time of mapping. The intricate network of thousands of small lakes and ponds demonstrates the characteristic permafrost-influenced hydrology of the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta region before modern development or infrastructure reached this remote territory.