1953 Map of Kuskokwim Bay D-2

About this map

The Ishkowik River flows into the vast tidal flats of Kuskokwim Bay at the edge of the Bering Sea, as documented in this 1950s survey. The landscape is defined by extensive deposits of mud and a network of wetlands that dominate the shoreline. Near the river mouth, the small settlement of Kuivagavik provides a rare point of human habitation in this dynamic coastal environment. A Winter Trail cuts across the tundra north of the river, indicating the seasonal transportation methods required to navigate this remote terrain before modern infrastructure. The map reflects a moment when the U.S. Army Topographic Command and the Geological Survey were utilizing photogrammetric methods to document Alaska’s complex coastline and unsurveyed land lines.