1955 Map of Mount Michelson D-5

About this map

The Canning River carves a massive, braided corridor through this landscape in the mid-1950s, serving as a defining boundary and a vital water source in this northern terrain. This area was designated as part of the Arctic National Wildlife Range, reflecting a period when federal land management was solidifying conservation priorities in Alaska's interior. The terrain is characterized by a dense network of small, unnamed lakes and ponds that dominate the northern flats, transitioning into more defined elevation contours to the south. Mapped by the Army Map Service and published by the Geological Survey, the sheet illustrates the unsurveyed and unmarked locations predetermined by the Bureau of Land Management during this era. The concentration of wetlands and the shifting nature of the river channels highlight the hydrological complexity of the region before further modern human intervention or more detailed infrastructure were established.