1955 Map of Umiat D-5

About this map

The vast, thaw-lake-studded landscape of the Arctic Coastal Plain dominates this 1955 survey of the Naval Petroleum Reserve No. 4. This remote region, mapped by the U. S. Army Topographic Command, reveals an intricate network of wandering waterways and hundreds of unnamed basins characteristic of permafrost terrain. The primary drainage is Judy Creek, which meanders through the northeast corner of the sheet, while specific relief features are identified by short names such as Maria, Bali, Olive, and Naran. These points represent subtle topographic variations in an otherwise nearly level expanse of tundra. The map underscores the early federal interest in northern energy resources, documenting a territory that remained largely unsurveyed on the ground, with land lines predetermined by the Bureau of Land Management but not yet marked in the field.