1955 Map of Umiat D-2

About this map

Ikpikpuk River dominates this landscape, its complex meanders and oxbow lakes illustrating the dynamic hydrology of the Alaskan North Slope. Based on 1955 aerial photography and field annotations, this advance proof records a vast permafrost environment before the era of intensive resource development in the region. The map shows an intricate network of thaw lakes and braided stream patterns characteristic of the Umiat Meridian, documented here by the Ikpikpuk River and its numerous unnamed tributaries. The absence of roads or settlements underscores the isolation of the territory during the mid-1950s, while the Bureau of Land Management's predetermined land lines indicate the early administrative efforts to grid this remote wilderness for future survey.