Copper River (Alaska)

Copper River
A fisherman (bottom center) dipnetting for salmon on the Copper River at Chitina in Southcentral Alaska
Location
CountryUnited States
StateAlaska
Physical characteristics
Source 
 • locationCopper Glacier on Mount Wrangell
 • coordinates62°10′39″N 143°49′05″W / 62.17750°N 143.81806°W / 62.17750; -143.81806
 • elevation4,380 ft (1,340 m)
Mouth 
 • location
Copper Bay of Pacific Ocean
 • coordinates
60°23′19″N 144°57′39″W / 60.38861°N 144.96083°W / 60.38861; -144.96083
 • elevation
0 ft (0 m)
Length290 mi (470 km)
Basin size24,000 sq mi (62,000 km2)
Discharge 
 • average57,400 cu ft/s (1,630 m3/s) at mouth
Southern portion of the Copper River

The Copper River or Ahtna River (/ˈɑːtnə/), Ahtna Athabascan ‘Atna’tuu ([ʔatʰnaʔtʰuː]), "river of the Ahtnas",[1] Tlingit Eeḵhéeni ([ʔìːq.híː.nì]), "river of copper",[2][3] is a 290-mile (470 km) river in south-central Alaska in the United States. It drains a large region of the Wrangell Mountains and Chugach Mountains into the Gulf of Alaska.[4] It is known for its extensive delta ecosystem, as well as for its prolific runs of wild salmon, which are among the most highly prized stocks in the world.[5] The river is the tenth largest in the United States, as ranked by average discharge volume at its mouth.[6]

  1. ^ Smelcer, John (2011). AHTNA NOUN DICTIONARY and Pronunciation Guide (PDF) (2nd ed.). Copper Center, Alaska: The Ahtna Heritage Foundation. pp. 28, 34. ISBN 978-0-9656310-2-0. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 December 2014. Retrieved 13 December 2014.
  2. ^ "Tlingit (Lingít, Łingít)". Omniglot. Retrieved 14 December 2014.
  3. ^ Thornton, Thomas F (January 2012). University of Washington (ed.). Being and Place Among the Tlingit, p. 64. University of Washington Press. ISBN 9780295800400. Retrieved 2013-03-02.
  4. ^ "Geological Survey Circular, Issues 491-500". USGS. 1950. Retrieved 14 December 2014.
  5. ^ Special Ecological Sites IN ALASKA'S EASTERN PRINCE WILLIAM SOUND & COPPER RIVER DELTA (PDF). Anchorage, Alaska: National Wildlife Federation. 2005. p. 6. Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 December 2014. Retrieved 14 December 2014.
  6. ^ "Largest Rivers in the United States" (PDF). USGS.

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