Noatak River
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The Noatak River is a river in northwestern Alaska.[1] The river's headwaters are on 8,570-foot (2,610 m) tall Mount Igikpak in the Schwatka Mountains of the Brooks Range in the Gates of the Arctic National Park. The Noatak flows generally westward approximately 675 km (420 miles) to the Chukchi Sea at Kotzebue Sound. The river's entire course is north of the Arctic Circle. Leaving Gates of the Arctic National Park the river enters the Noatak National Preserve which exactly delineates the river's watershed. The entire watershed of the Noatak River, not just the river itself, lies within these two protected areas, from the headwaters to where it leaves the Noatak National Preserve, which is a point approximately 20 river-miles upstream of Noatak village and 90 river-miles upstream of the river's delta in Kotzebue Sound. Even on this last part of the river most of the watershed lies within either Noatak National Preserve or Cape Krusenstern National Monument, with only the immediate river valley outside of these protected areas.[2]. This is the largest protected watershed basin in the U.S. The Noatak National Preserve alone encompasses 6,500,000 acres (26,000 km2).
There are small inholdings of private land within the National Preserve, some of these have private cabins. The only permanent settlement along the Noatak River is the village of Noatak. The village has a 4,000-foot (1,200 m) lighted public gravel airstrip, several small stores, post office, and a school.[3]
The Noatak is fed by a relatively large watershed: as for some other large braided Arctic rivercourses, rare severe rain events can result in temporary rapid inundation, to a depth of several feet, of normally dry river bars.[4] There are a few small remnant glaciers in the Schwatka Mountains, their contribution to the water budget of the Noatak is negligble.
The early English name "Inland River" published by surgeon John Simpson, RN, on his 1853 "Native Map," appears to be a general translation of the Inuit name "Nunulak" which he also recorded. The name "Nunatak" could also mean "new land" or "belong to the land."
Wild and Scenic River
On December 2, 1980, the 330 miles (530 km) of the Noatak - from its source in Gates of the Arctic National Park to the Kelly River in the Noatak National Preserve - were designated a National Wild and Scenic River.[5]
References
- ^ USGS Geographic Names Information System (GNIS). Noatak River. Accessed Aug 20, 2007.
- ^ USGS 1:250,000 quads: Noatak, DeLong Mts., Baird Mountains, Ambler River, Misheguk Mountain, Howard Pass, Survey Pass
- ^ Maniilaq Association Noatak website
- ^ http://www.cababstractsplus.org/google/abstract.asp?AcNo=20043158527Kane,D.L. etal, An Extreme Rainfall/Runoff Event in Arctic Alaska, Journal of Hydrometerology, 2003, v4, n.6, p.1220-1228
- ^ Noatak Wild and Scenic River, Alaska - National Wild and Scenic Rivers System