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1955 Map of Teshekpuk D-3

Name: 1955 Topographic Map of Teshekpuk D-3
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1982
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1982

About this map

The Ikpikpuk River Delta dominates this coastal landscape on the edge of the Beaufort Sea. Situated within the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska, the map documents early industrial exploration during the mid-1950s. The presence of numerous drill holes, an Oil Seep, and a Barrel Drill Hole near Cape Simpson indicates the intensity of resource surveying at this time.

Logistics across this waterlogged terrain relied on seasonal pathways, including several tractor trails and a Winter Trail that cuts across the frozen tundra. Human presence is sparse but specific, marked by the lonely Cabin Rose and various survey points named Abel, Pikpuk, Shirley, and Smith. The shoreline is defined by the shallow expanse of Smith Bay and the drainage of the Piasuk River, illustrating the complex hydrology of the North Slope.