Koyukuk River
Encyclopedia
The Koyukuk River is a principal tributary
of the Yukon River
, approximately 500 mi (805 km) long, in northern Alaska
in the United States
.
It drains an area north of the Yukon on the southern side of the Brooks Range
. The river is named for the Koyukon
people.
It rises in several forks above the Arctic Circle
in the Endicott Mountains
, near 67°58′N 151°15′W.
The North Fork of the Koyukuk River rises in Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve
. The combined river flows generally southwest, past Bettles, in a broadening valley of spruce
forests amid small lakes and marshes. It joins the Yukon from the north at Koyukuk
.
Its tributaries include the Glacier, Alatna
and John
rivers. The area around its confluence
with the Yukon is a large floodplain
protected as part of Koyukuk National Wildlife Refuge
.
The valley of the river is a habitat
for bear
and moose
and is a destination for game hunting.
The Russia
n Petr Malakov reached the river at its confluence with the Yukon in 1838. Lt. Henry Allen and Private Fred Fickett of the United States Army
ascended and explored the river in 1885. The discovery of gold
deposits on the Middle Fork in 1893 led to a gold rush
in 1898 with the establishment of trading posts and mining camps, including Bettles, on the upper river. In 1929, Robert Marshall
explored the North Fork of the Koyukuk River and gave the name Gates of the Arctic to the high Brooks Range along the river.
In 1980 the United States Congress
designated 100 mi (164 km) of the North Fork of the Koyukuk River in the Brooks Range as the Koyukuk Wild and Scenic River.
In 1994 floods on the river swept away three villages, forcing the wholesale relocation of the population.
Tributary
A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...
of the Yukon River
Yukon River
The Yukon River is a major watercourse of northwestern North America. The source of the river is located in British Columbia, Canada. The next portion lies in, and gives its name to Yukon Territory. The lower half of the river lies in the U.S. state of Alaska. The river is long and empties into...
, approximately 500 mi (805 km) long, in northern Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
It drains an area north of the Yukon on the southern side of the Brooks Range
Brooks Range
The Brooks Range is a mountain range in far northern North America. It stretches from west to east across northern Alaska and into Canada's Yukon Territory, a total distance of about 1100 km . The mountains top out at over 2,700 m . The range is believed to be approximately 126 million years old...
. The river is named for the Koyukon
Koyukon
The Koyukon are a group of Athabaskan people living in northern Alaska. Their traditional home is along the Koyukuk and Yukon rivers where they subsisted by hunting and trapping for thousands of years...
people.
It rises in several forks above the Arctic Circle
Arctic Circle
The Arctic Circle is one of the five major circles of latitude that mark maps of the Earth. For Epoch 2011, it is the parallel of latitude that runs north of the Equator....
in the Endicott Mountains
Endicott Mountains
The Endicott Mountains are a range of mountains, part of the Brooks Range in northern Alaska. They are located in the middle of the Brooks range and run some east-west. To the east are the Philip Smith Mountains and to the west are the Schwatka Mountains...
, near 67°58′N 151°15′W.
The North Fork of the Koyukuk River rises in Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve
Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve
Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve is a U.S. National Park in Alaska. It is the northernmost national park in the U.S. and the second largest at 13,238 mi² , about the same size as Switzerland. The park consists primarily of portions of the Brooks Range of mountains...
. The combined river flows generally southwest, past Bettles, in a broadening valley of spruce
Spruce
A spruce is a tree of the genus Picea , a genus of about 35 species of coniferous evergreen trees in the Family Pinaceae, found in the northern temperate and boreal regions of the earth. Spruces are large trees, from tall when mature, and can be distinguished by their whorled branches and conical...
forests amid small lakes and marshes. It joins the Yukon from the north at Koyukuk
Koyukuk, Alaska
Koyukuk is a city in Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area, Alaska, United States At the 2000 census the population was 101., Koyukuk is one of a number of Alaskan communities threated by erosion.-History:...
.
Its tributaries include the Glacier, Alatna
Alatna River
The Alatna River is a federally-designated wild and scenic river partially contained within the boundaries of Gates of the Arctic National Park, Alaska. It is called one of the most beautiful rivers in the United States...
and John
John River (Alaska)
The John River is a river in the northern part of the U.S. state of Alaska. It was named after John Bremner, a prospector and explorer who was one of the first non-native persons to go there. It flows south from Anaktuvuk Pass in Alaska's Brooks Range, into the Koyukuk River at a point near the...
rivers. The area around its confluence
Confluence
Confluence, in geography, describes the meeting of two or more bodies of water.Confluence may also refer to:* Confluence , a property of term rewriting systems...
with the Yukon is a large floodplain
Floodplain
A floodplain, or flood plain, is a flat or nearly flat land adjacent a stream or river that stretches from the banks of its channel to the base of the enclosing valley walls and experiences flooding during periods of high discharge...
protected as part of Koyukuk National Wildlife Refuge
Koyukuk National Wildlife Refuge
The Koyukuk National Wildlife Refuge lies within the floodplain of the Koyukuk River, in a basin that extends from the Yukon River to the Purcell Mountains and the foothills of the Brooks Range...
.
The valley of the river is a habitat
Habitat
* Habitat , a place where a species lives and grows*Human habitat, a place where humans live, work or play** Space habitat, a space station intended as a permanent settlement...
for bear
Bear
Bears are mammals of the family Ursidae. Bears are classified as caniforms, or doglike carnivorans, with the pinnipeds being their closest living relatives. Although there are only eight living species of bear, they are widespread, appearing in a wide variety of habitats throughout the Northern...
and moose
Moose
The moose or Eurasian elk is the largest extant species in the deer family. Moose are distinguished by the palmate antlers of the males; other members of the family have antlers with a dendritic configuration...
and is a destination for game hunting.
History
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n Petr Malakov reached the river at its confluence with the Yukon in 1838. Lt. Henry Allen and Private Fred Fickett of the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
ascended and explored the river in 1885. The discovery of gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
deposits on the Middle Fork in 1893 led to a gold rush
Gold rush
A gold rush is a period of feverish migration of workers to an area that has had a dramatic discovery of gold. Major gold rushes took place in the 19th century in Australia, Brazil, Canada, South Africa, and the United States, while smaller gold rushes took place elsewhere.In the 19th and early...
in 1898 with the establishment of trading posts and mining camps, including Bettles, on the upper river. In 1929, Robert Marshall
Bob Marshall (wilderness activist)
Robert "Bob" Marshall was an American forester, writer and wilderness activist. The son of wealthy constitutional lawyer and conservationist Louis Marshall, Bob Marshall developed a love for the outdoors as a young child...
explored the North Fork of the Koyukuk River and gave the name Gates of the Arctic to the high Brooks Range along the river.
In 1980 the United States Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
designated 100 mi (164 km) of the North Fork of the Koyukuk River in the Brooks Range as the Koyukuk Wild and Scenic River.
In 1994 floods on the river swept away three villages, forcing the wholesale relocation of the population.