1955 Map of Wainwright B-1

About this map

Naval Petroleum Reserve No. 4 encompasses this entire expanse of the North Slope, documented during a 1955 aerial survey. The landscape is defined by an intricate network of wandering waterways and countless thaw lakes, characteristic of the Arctic coastal plain. Major drainage systems including the Kungok River, the Maguriak River, and the Mikigealiak River dominate the northern and central sections of the sheet. To the south, the Omalik River and Irak Creek meander through the tundra toward Takrak Lake. Human presence is notably sparse, marked only by the seasonal Winter Trail crossing the southwest corner. The absence of permanent settlements or structures reflects the administrative status of this territory during the mid-20th century as a federal petroleum reserve, prior to the major oil discoveries and infrastructure developments that would later transform the region.