Beaver Creek (Alaska)
Encyclopedia
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
.
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.
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 willow
s grow on its banks.
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 lowland
s include sloughs
and oxbow lake
s. 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.
River
A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...
in 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...
. Its headwaters are in the White Mountains
White Mountains (Alaska)
The White Mountains is a 115-km-long mountain range in the Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area of the U.S. state of Alaska. It lies between Beaver Creek and Preacher Creek, and was named by prospectors for its composition of white limestone. The range reaches a maximum elevation of 968 m...
, (around 50 miles north of Fairbanks
Fairbanks
Fairbanks may refer to:Places in the United States*Fairbanks, Alaska, city*Fairbanks, California, unincorporated community in El Dorado County*Fairbanks, Mendocino County, California, former settlement*Fairbanks, Indiana, unincorporated community...
) and from there it flows through the Yukon Flats National Wildlife Refuge
Yukon Flats National Wildlife Refuge
The Yukon Flats National Wildlife Refuge is a protected wetland area in the U.S. state of Alaska. It encompasses most of the Yukon Flats, a vast wetland area centered on the confluence of the Yukon River, Porcupine River, and Chandalar River...
before joining 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...
.
In 1980, The Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act
Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act
The Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act was a United States federal law passed in 1980 by the U.S. Congress and signed into law by President Jimmy Carter on December 2 of that year....
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
Yukon Flats National Wildlife Refuge
The Yukon Flats National Wildlife Refuge is a protected wetland area in the U.S. state of Alaska. It encompasses most of the Yukon Flats, a vast wetland area centered on the confluence of the Yukon River, Porcupine River, and Chandalar River...
, as part of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System.
Description
The Beaver River flows from its headwaters through thick forest of white spruceWhite Spruce
Picea glauca is a species of spruce native to boreal forests in the north of North America, from central Alaska east to Newfoundland, and south to northern Montana, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, upstate New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine; there is also an isolated population in the...
and paper birch
Paper Birch
Betula papyrifera is a species of birch native to northern North America.-Description:...
forests and tundra
Tundra
In physical geography, tundra is a biome where the tree growth is hindered by low temperatures and short growing seasons. The term tundra comes through Russian тундра from the Kildin Sami word tūndâr "uplands," "treeless mountain tract." There are three types of tundra: Arctic tundra, alpine...
on the high slopes of the White Mountains, whose limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
peaks reach 3,176 feet on the river's north and east side. The river has plentiful gravel bars and willow
Willow
Willows, sallows, and osiers form the genus Salix, around 400 species of deciduous trees and shrubs, found primarily on moist soils in cold and temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere...
s grow on its banks.
The lower portion of the creek flows in a very convoluted course through Yukon Flats
Yukon Flats
The Yukon Flats are a vast area of wetlands, forest, bog, and low-lying ground centered on the confluence of the Yukon River, Porcupine River, and Chandalar River in the central portion of the U.S. state of Alaska. The Yukon Flats are bordered in the north by the Brooks Range, in the south by the...
, an area that contains thousands of lakes. Geographical features of these lowland
Lowland
In physical geography, a lowland is any broad expanse of land with a general low level. The term is thus applied to the landward portion of the upward slope from oceanic depths to continental highlands, to a region of depression in the interior of a mountainous region, to a plain of denudation, or...
s include sloughs
Swamp
A swamp is a wetland with some flooding of large areas of land by shallow bodies of water. A swamp generally has a large number of hammocks, or dry-land protrusions, covered by aquatic vegetation, or vegetation that tolerates periodical inundation. The two main types of swamp are "true" or swamp...
and oxbow lake
Oxbow lake
An oxbow lake is a U-shaped body of water formed when a wide meander from the main stem of a river is cut off to create a lake. This landform is called an oxbow lake for the distinctive curved shape, named after part of a yoke for oxen. In Australia, an oxbow lake is called a billabong, derived...
s. The Beaver River flows through the heart of Yukon Flats and forms an active alluvial river system in one of the most productive waterfowl
Waterfowl
Waterfowl are certain wildfowl of the order Anseriformes, especially members of the family Anatidae, which includes ducks, geese, and swans....
breeding areas in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, and the most productive in Alaska.