1954 Map of McGrath A-4

About this map

Big River dominates this interior landscape, weaving its complex braided channels across a broad valley floor. Surveyed during the mid-1950s using photogrammetric methods from 1953 and 1954 aerial photography, the map reveals an environment defined by its natural drainage patterns and the absence of established infrastructure. The wide alluvial plain of the Big River is contrasted by the rising terrain to the west where the Cheeneetnuk River begins its course. This document is particularly significant for its depiction of the Seward Meridian land lines, which were predetermined by the Bureau of Land Management but remained unsurveyed and unmarked on the ground at the time of publication. The intricate network of wetlands, ponds, and shifting river bars provides a detailed look at the hydrology of the McGrath region before modern development or environmental changes.