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1971 Map of Sagavanirktok C-3

Name: 1971 Topographic Map of Sagavanirktok C-3
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1977
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1977

About this map

The Sagavanirktok River dominates this Arctic landscape, its braided channels and gravel bars carving a wide path through the North Slope tundra. Mapped during the early 1970s, this survey documents the critical infrastructure of the Alaskan oil boom, most notably the route of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline running parallel to the river. This industrial corridor is further marked by the Susie Oil Well and a nearby Landing Strip, illustrating the isolated, air-dependent nature of resource extraction in this environment.

Beyond the modern energy infrastructure, the map traces older routes of travel including the Winter Road and Winter Trail, which provide seasonal passage across the frozen terrain. Local landmarks such as Beaver and Nora punctuate the vast expanse of unnamed lakes and wetlands. These features represent the intersection of traditional remote travel and the massive logistical efforts of the late twentieth-century oil industry.