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1953 Map of Kuskokwim Bay D-2

Name: 1953 Topographic Map of Kuskokwim Bay D-2
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1984
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1984

About this map

Kulvagavik sits along the northern edge of this coastal landscape, situated where the Ishkowik River meets the expansive tidal flats of the Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge. The map reveals a dynamic environment of transition, where the freshwater output of the river system reaches the saltwater of Kuskokwim Bay. Large expanses of mud flats and numerous unnamed water bodies characterize the geography, reflecting the shifting nature of the Alaska coastline.

A solitary Winter Trail cuts across the tundra north of the shoreline, indicating the seasonal movement patterns essential for travel and subsistence in this region during the mid-20th century. The survey, based on aerial photography from the early 1950s, documents the exact position of the Kulvagavik settlement before subsequent decades of coastal erosion and delta shifts. This map is a primary reference for the hydrology and human footprint at the western edge of the delta.