1953 Map of Marshall A-5

About this map

Aropuk Lake dominates this 1950s landscape, a massive expanse of water surrounded by an intricate web of smaller ponds and marshy lowlands in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta. This map represents the region just as the Clarence Rhode National Wildlife Range was established to protect the critical nesting grounds of migratory birds. Within this refuge lies Area No 1, highlighting early federal conservation efforts in the Alaska Territory. The terrain is defined by a lack of permanent human settlements or roads, instead showing the natural hydrology of the tundra where features like Tukliknek connect the sprawling aquatic systems. Mapped by the Army Map Service using photogrammetric methods from 1951 aerial photography, the sheet records a frozen-in-time view of an untouched wilderness prior to later environmental shifts and modern development.