1954 Map of Medfra D-4

About this map

The Nowitna River snakes through this interior landscape, defining a complex system of oxbow lakes and wetlands as it flowed in the mid-1950s. This survey, compiled from 1953 and 1955 aerial photography, reveals a wilderness largely untouched by permanent settlement or infrastructure. The Susulatna River enters from the west, contributing to a drainage pattern of high-relief ridges and saturated lowlands. Smaller tributaries like Pilot Creek and Sunrise Creek drain the upland terrain, while Meadow Bridge Creek winds through the southern reaches. The map reflects a moment in Alaskan history when the interior was being methodically documented by the Geological Survey, providing an essential record of the natural waterways and unmarked land lines before any significant modern encroachment or development in the Yukon-Koyukuk region.