1955 Map of Harrison Bay A-2

About this map

The Colville River dominates this mid-century landscape of the North Slope, where the intricate delta systems of the Arctic coast begin to take shape. This 1955 survey captures a specific moment in the history of the Naval Petroleum Reserve No 4, showing the territory as it was managed by the Bureau of Land Management before extensive modern development. The terrain is a complex network of water and marshland, characterized by the winding Nechelik Channel and the southern confluence of the Itkillik River. Scattered throughout this water-logged expanse are small, isolated points of human activity labeled simply as Relays, Kinik, Flint, and Stone. These labels likely represent surveyor camps, navigational markers, or small indigenous sites used during the photogrammetric mapping process by the Army Map Service, providing a rare look at the early logistical footprint in this part of Alaska.