1958 Map of Kenai C-8

About this map

The expansive ice fields of Double Glacier dominate this 1950s survey of the Kenai Peninsula, where active glacial movement is indicated by numerous crevasses across the high-altitude terrain. This environment dictates the drainage patterns of the region, feeding the braided channels of the Tlikakila River in the north and the Drift River to the south. Produced during an era when the Bureau of Land Management was predetermining land lines for unsurveyed territory, the map reveals a wilderness devoid of roads or permanent settlements. The documentation of these water systems and ice flows provides a precise record of the hydrological state of these Alaskan drainages before modern climate shifts. Geologists and researchers can trace the extent of the glacial ice and its relationship to the surrounding river valleys during this mid-century period.