1955 Map of Utukok River D-4

About this map

The Utukok River meanders across this high-latitude Arctic landscape, which is entirely contained within the Naval Petroleum Reserve No. 4. Mapped in the mid-1950s using photogrammetric methods, the terrain is defined by a dense network of lakes and marshes that dominate the drainage basins of the Avak River and its major tributaries. The lack of permanent settlements emphasizes the remote nature of this area, where human presence is marked only by a long Tractor Trail that cuts across the central tundra, likely supporting early geological or petroleum reconnaissance. The map illustrates a delicate permafrost landscape before modern infrastructure reached this part of the North Slope, preserving the original braided patterns of the river systems as they were first recorded by the Army Map Service.