1953 Map of Valdez C-3

About this map

Tonsina River flows westward through a heavily glaciated landscape in this mid-century survey of the Copper River basin. The Edgerton Cutoff serves as the primary corridor for movement, skirting the northern edge of the terrain near Kenney Lake. The northern reach of the map is dominated by the wide, braided channels of the Copper River, where the silt-heavy waters carve through the valley floor. To the south, the topography rises sharply toward Kimball Pass, a natural high point between drainages. The drainage patterns of Dust Creek and Bernard Creek illustrate the watershed's complexity, showing a wild interior before the extensive modern infrastructure of the region was fully developed. This study was compiled from aerial photography taken in the early 1950s, capturing the remote character of the Alaska-Third Judicial Division during a period of expanding northern access.