1963 Map of Chignik C-5

About this map

Bristol Bay dominates the northern horizon of this coastal Alaskan landscape, where the tides exert a constant influence on the shifting shoreline. The Seal Islands form a protective barrier against the open water, separated from the mainland by expansive stretches of Tidal Flat. Further inland, the terrain is defined by a dense network of marshes and water bodies, most notably Ilnik Lake and the meandering Ilnik River. Evidence of human presence is minimal, marked only by a solitary Cabin near the coast and the survey points at Snipe, Chief, and Ilnik. This survey, compiled from aerial photography taken in the late 1950s and early 1960s, documents a wilderness of Fog Creek and un-surveyed wetlands where the mean range of tide reaches approximately seven feet, constantly reshaping the boundary between land and sea.