1956 Map of Ikpikpuk River

About this map

The Naval Petroleum Reserve No 4 dominates this mid-century landscape of the North Slope, revealing a region defined by cold-war era energy exploration and remote logistics. At a time when aerial photogrammetry was first detailing this wilderness, the map records the infrastructure of the search for oil, specifically noting the Oumalik Test Well, Titaluk Test Well, and Knifeblade Test Wells. These industrial outposts are linked by a network of tractor trails and winter landing areas, crossing a complex drainage system where the Ikpikpuk River and Colville River meet the Arctic coastal plain. Topographic features such as Knifeblade Ridge and Kimikpak Ridge rise above the thaw-lake plains, while evocative names like Valley of the Willows and Brontosaurus Creek hint at the observations of the surveying parties.