1985 Map of Selawik C-1

About this map

The Selawik River meanders in tight, complex oxbows through this portion of the Selawik National Wildlife Refuge as documented in the mid-1980s. This interior Alaskan landscape is defined by its watery geography, where the main river course meets the Kugarak River amidst a dense network of unnamed lakes and wetlands. The small settlement of Nilik represents a singular point of human habitation along the riverbank in an otherwise unsettled expanse. Compiled from aerial photography taken in 1971 and edited in 1985, this record illustrates the shifting hydrology of the Arctic tundra before the more rapid environmental changes of the late 20th century. The lack of roads or established trails on the sheet emphasizes the reliance on these river systems for navigation and access to the interior.