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1955 Map of Wainwright A-5

Name: 1955 Topographic Map of Wainwright A-5
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1971
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1971

About this map

The Arctic coastal plain on the North Slope of Alaska is defined here by a dense network of thaw lakes and meandering watercourses as they appeared in the mid-1950s. The landscape transitions from the brackish waters of Kasegaluk Lagoon and Avak Inlet to an interior dominated by significant freshwater bodies like Sikolik Lake. The western portion of the map is marked by the Naval Petroleum Reserve No 4 Boundary (Indefinite), signifying the strategic resource management of the era.

Evidence of human activity is sparse, limited to a single Tractor Trail cutting through the southeastern tundra. This primitive route provides a physical link across a terrain otherwise dictated by the hydrology of the Avak River, Tunalik River, and Utukok River. The survey data, compiled in part from USC&GS Chart 9402, offers a precise look at the shifting shoreline near Avak Point and the inland drainage of Akpik Creek.