Koyukuk
Koyukuk is a mapped river in the YearMaps hydrographic index. River courses organise settlement, agriculture and frontier-making more durably than any political boundary, and this reach is indexed against the dams, lakes and cities within its catchment.
- Feature Class
- River
- Coordinates
- 66.24°, -154.12°
About Koyukuk
The Koyukuk River (; Ooghekuhno' in Koyukon, Kuuyukaq or Tagraġvik in Iñupiaq) is a 425-mile (684 km) tributary of the Yukon River, in the U.S. state of Alaska. It is the last major tributary entering the Yukon before the larger river empties into the Bering Sea.
Rising at the confluence of the North Fork Koyukuk River with the Middle Fork Koyukuk River, it flows generally southwest to meet the larger Yukon River at Koyukuk. The river, with headwaters above the Arctic Circle in the Endicott Mountains of the Brooks Range, drains an area north of the Yukon River that includes part of the Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve, as well as Kanuti National Wildlife Refuge and Koyukuk National Wildlife Refuge.
The main stem of the river is lined by the communities of Evansville, Bettles, Alatna, Allakaket, Hughes, and Huslia before reaching Koyukuk. Its headwaters tributaries include the Koyukuk's south, middle, and north forks, the Alatna River, and the John River. Major tributaries further downstream include the Kanuti, Batzu, Hogatza, Huslia, Dulbi, Kateel, and Gisasa rivers.
Encyclopedic summary adapted from Wikipedia: Koyukuk River (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Koyukuk in Depth
History
The Russian Petr Vasilii Malakhov reached the river at its confluence with the Yukon in 1838. The United States acquired Alaska after the American Civil War, but it was 1885 before US representatives Lieutenant Henry Allen and Private Fred Fickett of the United States Army ascended and explored the river. The discovery of gold deposits by Johnnie Folger on the Middle Fork in 1893 on The Tramway bar led to a gold rush in 1898; trading posts and mining camps, including Bettles, were rapidly developed on the upper river.
In 1929, Robert "Bob" Marshall explored the North Fork of the Koyukuk River, and identified what he called the Gates of the Arctic.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Koyukuk River (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Koyukuk: Key Facts
| Length | 805 km |
|---|---|
| Average discharge | 404 m³/s |
| Drainage basin | 82,880 km² |
| Source | North Fork Koyukuk River |
| Mouth | Yukon River |
| Drainage system | Yukon River Basin |
| Tributaries | Alatna River, John River, Hogatza River, Kanuti River, Huslia River, South Fork Koyukuk River, Indian River, Dulbi River |
Facts from Wikidata Q1546553 (CC0).
Major River Dossiers
Hand-written studies of the great river systems of history.
Connected Reaches
Nearby watercourses in the same drainage network.
Water Bodies in the Catchment
Settlements Along the Reach
Hydraulic Infrastructure Nearby
Surrounding Terrain
Koyukuk: Quick Answers
- Where is Koyukuk?
- Koyukuk is located in United States, at 66.2393° N, 154.1155° W.
- Are there dams on the Koyukuk?
- No dam on the Koyukuk is recorded in the YearMaps dam index, which covers major structures only.