1954 Map of Kateel River B-5

About this map

Kateel River winds through the northwestern corner of this territory, defining a landscape dominated by the intricate drainages of the Pitka River and Honhosa River. This 1954 survey captures the region during a period of systematic aerial mapping by the Geological Survey, using photogrammetric methods to chart the interior of Alaska. The topographic layout is structured around the Kateel River Base Line, which serves as the primary longitudinal reference for the land lines predetermined by the Bureau of Land Management. Without established roads or permanent settlements at the time of the survey, the map documents a purely wilderness hydrology, where countless unnamed ridges and valleys separate the major river systems. It provides a foundational record of the Kateel River Meridian before modern infrastructure reached this part of the Yukon-Koyukuk region.