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1949 Map of Nushagak Bay

Name: 1949 Topographic Map of Nushagak Bay
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1949
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1949

About this map

Nushagak Bay and its surrounding estuaries appear here as a hub of the Alaskan salmon industry during the late 1940s. The map highlights the essential maritime economy of the Bristol Bay region, marking numerous commercial outposts such as Nushagak Cannery, Igushik Cannery, and the Old Saltery. These sites, along with settlements like Kanakanak and Clarks Point, represent the human footprint on a landscape defined by shifting tides and river mouths.

The Nushagak Peninsula separates the vast waters of Bristol Bay from the inner reaches of Nushagak Bay, terminating at Cape Constantine. Inland, the terrain rises toward Acorn Peak and the Nichols Hills, while the network of the Igushik River, Snake River, and Weary River provides access to the interior. Small cabins and the fishing camp at Quek show the dispersed nature of seasonal and subsistence living in this subarctic environment shortly after World War II.