Beaver Creek (Alaska)
| Beaver Creek | |
| River | |
 Beaver Creek showing gravel bars
|
|
| Country | United States |
|---|---|
| State | Alaska |
| Source | White Mountains |
| - coordinates | 65°24′56″N 146°59′04″W / 65.41556°N 146.98444°W |
| Mouth | Yukon River |
| - coordinates | 66°14′19″N 147°31′58″W / 66.23861°N 147.53278°W |
| Length | 290 km (180 mi) |
Beaver Creek is a clear water river in Alaska. Its headwaters are in the White Mountains, (around 50 miles north of Fairbanks) and from there it flows through the Yukon Flats National Wildlife Refuge before joining the Yukon River.[1]
In 1980, The Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act designated Beaver Creek, the first 127 miles of which are within the White Mountains National Recreation Area and the last 16 miles within the Yukon Flats National Wildlife Refuge, as part of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System.[2][3]
Contents |
[edit] Description
The Beaver River flows from its headwaters through thick forest of white spruce and paper birch forests and tundra on the high slopes of the White Mountains, whose limestone peaks reach 3,176 feet on the river's north and east side. The river has plentiful gravel bars and willows grow on its banks.[4]
The lower portion of the creek flows in a very convoluted course through Yukon Flats, an area that contains thousands of lakes. Geographical features of these lowlands include sloughs and oxbow lakes. The Beaver River flows through the heart of Yukon Flats and forms an active alluvial river system in one of the most productive waterfowl breeding areas in North America, and the most productive in Alaska.[5]
[edit] Access
The most common way to access the lower Beaver Creek is via the upper segment of Beaver Creek, although it is possible to land small aircraft on the river's gravel bars. The upper part of the river can be reached via Nome Creek which flows into Beaver Creek within a couple of miles of its origin. Nome Creek is accessible by highway. The lower Beaver Creek segment can also be accessed by boating up the stream from the Yukon River, if the water level is medium to high.[5]
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ "Beaver Creek recreation area details - Alaska - Recreation.gov". www.recreation.gov. http://www.recreation.gov/recAreaDetails.do?contractCode=NRSO&recAreaId=3125&agencyCode=126. Retrieved 2009-10-20.
- ^ "BLM Alaska: Beaver Creek National Wild River". www.blm.gov. http://www.blm.gov/ak/st/en/prog/nlcs/beavercrk_nwsr.html. Retrieved 2009-10-20.
- ^ Dapkus, Dave (1976). "Important Information About the Alaska River Logs". U.S. Government. http://www.outdoorsdirectory.com/boating/arl/beaver_creek.pdf. Retrieved 2009-10-20.
- ^ Dapkus, David. "Beaver Creek -- Alaska waterways". outdoorsdirectory.com. http://outdoorsdirectory.com/boating/arl/beaver_creek.htm. Retrieved 2009-10-20.
- ^ a b "Lower Beaver Creek Water Trail". dnr.alaska.gov. http://dnr.alaska.gov/parks/aktrails/ats/ne/beaver.htm. Retrieved 2009-10-20.
