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1971 Map of Chandalar C-6

Name: 1971 Topographic Map of Chandalar C-6
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1977
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1977

About this map

The Trans-Alaska Pipeline is a focal point of this 1970s survey, shown snaking through the valley of the Middle Fork Koyukuk River. This period marks the early infrastructure phase for the North Slope oil boom, evidenced by the presence of Dietrich Camp and the Dietrich Airport situated along the Dietrich River. The map captures a moment when industrial development met the formidable terrain of the Brooks Range, dominated here by the steep elevations of Sukakpak Mountain and Wiehl Mountain.

Tracing the waterways reveals a landscape named by prospecting and early travel, with routes like the Winter Trail cutting toward Linda Creek Pass. While small structures like Cabins and a Landing Strip are noted, the map is primarily a study of drainage and relief, following the Bettles River and Mathews River as they feed into the larger river systems that defined northern transportation before the pipeline road.