1956 Map of Ikpikpuk River

About this map

Naval Petroleum Reserve No 4 dominates this mid-century portrait of the Arctic landscape, reflecting a period of intense exploratory activity in northern Alaska. The map documents a sparsely populated wilderness defined by its complex hydrology, from the meandering Ikpikpuk River and the braided channels of the Colville River to the dense concentrations of the Oumalik Lakes and Koluktak Lakes. The industrial footprint of the era is evidenced by isolated infrastructure like the Oumalik Test Well and Wolf Creek Test Wells, connected by remote Tractor Trails that served as vital supply lines across the tundra.