1971 Map of Umiat A-2

About this map

The Anaktuvuk River and Nanushuk River dominate this segment of the North Slope, revealing a landscape defined by seasonal movement and the stark geography of the Arctic. Surveyed during the early 1970s via photogrammetric methods, the map documents a sparse network of landmarks such as Farley, Lieb, and Crane that punctuate the riverbanks and bluffs. The presence of a Winter Road highlights the unique logistics of the era, where overland travel was dictated by the freezing of the tundra. Distinctive topographical features like Schrader Bluff and the Shale Wall Bluff provide essential navigational markers in an area where permanent settlement is nearly non-existent. This survey captures the region just as modern resource exploration was beginning to shape the Alaskan interior, yet the map primarily reflects the raw, unsurveyed character of the Umiat Meridian.