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1952 Map of Ruby A-3

Name: 1952 Topographic Map of Ruby A-3
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1983
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1983

About this map

The Nowitna National Wildlife Refuge dominates this sub-arctic landscape, defined by the winding course of the Nowitna River as it meanders through a labyrinth of oxbow lakes and wetlands. This 1952 topographic study, with revisions reflecting the 1980 establishment of the refuge, reveals a wilderness largely devoid of permanent human settlements or road infrastructure. The terrain is characterized by intricate drainage patterns where the Sulukna River meets the Nowitna floodplain, creating a complex water network essential for local ecosystems.

Waterbodies like the Lost River and Our Creek trace the low-lying interior, while the elevation at VABM Sulla provides a rare fixed survey point in the otherwise fluid riverine environment. The absence of trails or roads on the sheet underscores the remote nature of the Yukon-Koyukuk region during the mid-20th century, capturing a moment before modern conservation boundaries were formally layered over these unsurveyed Bureau of Land Management lands.