1955 Map of Wainwright A-5

About this map

The Naval Petroleum Reserve No 4 Boundary (Indefinite) slices through this remote North Slope landscape, defining a region of strategic interest during the mid-1950s. The terrain is a complex network of thermokarst lakes and coastal wetlands, dominated by the massive Sikolik Lake and the meandering Tunalik River. Along the northern edge, the transition from tundra to sea is marked by Kasegaluk Lagoon and the sheltered waters of Avak Inlet near Avak Point. This survey captures the geography of the Arctic coastal plain before significant industrial footprints, showing only a solitary Tractor Trail cutting across the southern reaches. The intricate drainage patterns of the Avak River illustrate the seasonally fluid nature of this permafrost environment, where land and water frequently intermingle across unsurveyed and unmarked boundaries.