Taiya River
Encyclopedia
The Taiya River is a 17-mile-long (27 km) river
in the U.S. state
of Alaska
running from the border with British Columbia
, Canada
, to the Taiya Inlet
of upper Lynn Canal
.
to temperate rainforest a variety of fauna and flora reside in the Taiya River and its valley. The Taiya River valley and the synonymous Taiya River watershed are actually confined to a very small area as the valley is a very steep-sided glaciated valley (as a sidenote, because of glaciation, the valley is also experiencing post-glacial rebound
). There are a number of small glacier
s and icefields that the river drains from the surrounding mountains, but for the most part, it's relatively a very small watershed for its size. The Taiya River delta is quite expansive and makes the adjacent portion of the Taiya Inlet very shallow.
The Taiya River is historically significant with its role in the Klondike Gold Rush
. The river's terminus, the Taiya Inlet, was also home to the Klondike boom town of Dyea
which was the start of the Chilkoot Trail
. The sediment from the Taiya River in the Taiya Inlet made a deep-water dock in Dyea impossible.
This was one (but not the only reason) for the construction of the White Pass and Yukon Route
taking the Skagway
-White Pass
route instead of the Dyea-Chilkoot Pass route which effectively sealed the fate of both the Chilkoot Trail and the town of Dyea. The Taiya was also a key component of transportation during the gold rush days. During the winter the river would freeze over allowing signicantly easier transportation (especially with sledges and pack animal
s) than the overland trail. This was especially true when the Taiya went into a canyon between Canyon City and Pleasant Camp and the overland trail was especially difficult.
and the Chilkoot Trail it protects. It's also the recipient of rafting tours based out of Skagway and has an anadromous
fish population that is popular with fishermen. It has a watershed council, the Taiya Inlet Watershed Council partially dedicating to its protection and its recreational users.
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 the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of 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...
running from the border with British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, to the Taiya Inlet
Taiya Inlet
The Taiya Inlet is part of the upper Lynn Canal located in the U.S. state of Alaska. The Taiya Inlet is an estuary which lies in a deep valley, with Skagway, Alaska at its north end and the remainder of the Lynn Canal at its south end.-History:...
of upper Lynn Canal
Lynn Canal
Lynn Canal is an inlet into the mainland of southeast Alaska.Lynn Canal runs about from the inlets of the Chilkat River south to Chatham Strait and Stephens Passage...
.
Geography
The Taiya River is unique as it passes through a number of different ecosystems over a short distance. From alpine tundraAlpine tundra
Alpine tundra is a natural region that does not contain trees because it is at high altitude. Alpine tundra is distinguished from arctic tundra, because alpine soils are generally better drained than arctic soils...
to temperate rainforest a variety of fauna and flora reside in the Taiya River and its valley. The Taiya River valley and the synonymous Taiya River watershed are actually confined to a very small area as the valley is a very steep-sided glaciated valley (as a sidenote, because of glaciation, the valley is also experiencing post-glacial rebound
Post-glacial rebound
Post-glacial rebound is the rise of land masses that were depressed by the huge weight of ice sheets during the last glacial period, through a process known as isostasy...
). There are a number of small glacier
Glacier
A glacier is a large persistent body of ice that forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. At least 0.1 km² in area and 50 m thick, but often much larger, a glacier slowly deforms and flows due to stresses induced by its weight...
s and icefields that the river drains from the surrounding mountains, but for the most part, it's relatively a very small watershed for its size. The Taiya River delta is quite expansive and makes the adjacent portion of the Taiya Inlet very shallow.
History
The Taiya River received its name when the Tlingit word Taiya became noted as a common usage for the body of water in 1868.The Taiya River is historically significant with its role in the Klondike Gold Rush
Klondike Gold Rush
The Klondike Gold Rush, also called the Yukon Gold Rush, the Alaska Gold Rush and the Last Great Gold Rush, was an attempt by an estimated 100,000 people to travel to the Klondike region the Yukon in north-western Canada between 1897 and 1899 in the hope of successfully prospecting for gold...
. The river's terminus, the Taiya Inlet, was also home to the Klondike boom town of Dyea
Dyea, Alaska
Dyea is a former town in the U.S. state of Alaska. A few people live on individual small homesteads in the valley; however, it is largely abandoned. It is located at the convergence of the Taiya River and Taiya Inlet on the south side of the Chilkoot Pass within the limits of the Municipality of...
which was the start of the Chilkoot Trail
Chilkoot Trail
The Chilkoot Trail is a 33 miles trail through the Coast Mountains that leads from Dyea, Alaska in the United States, to Bennett, British Columbia in Canada....
. The sediment from the Taiya River in the Taiya Inlet made a deep-water dock in Dyea impossible.
White Pass and Yukon Route
The White Pass and Yukon Route is a Canadian and U.S. Class II narrow gauge railroad linking the port of Skagway, Alaska, with Whitehorse, the capital of Yukon. An isolated system, it has no direct connection to any other railroad. Equipment, freight and passengers are ferried by ship through the...
taking the Skagway
Skagway, Alaska
Skagway is a first-class borough in Alaska, on the Alaska Panhandle. It was formerly a city first incorporated in 1900 that was re-incorporated as a borough on June 25, 2007. As of the 2000 census, the population of the city was 862...
-White Pass
White Pass
White Pass is a mountain pass through the Boundary Ranges of the Coast Mountains on the border of the U.S. state of Alaska and the province of British Columbia, Canada...
route instead of the Dyea-Chilkoot Pass route which effectively sealed the fate of both the Chilkoot Trail and the town of Dyea. The Taiya was also a key component of transportation during the gold rush days. During the winter the river would freeze over allowing signicantly easier transportation (especially with sledges and pack animal
Pack animal
A pack animal or beast of burden is a working animal used by humans as means of transporting materials by attaching them so their weight bears on the animal's back; the term may be applied to either an individual animal or a species so employed...
s) than the overland trail. This was especially true when the Taiya went into a canyon between Canyon City and Pleasant Camp and the overland trail was especially difficult.
Current status
Today the Taiya River is a centerpiece of the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical ParkKlondike Gold Rush National Historical Park
Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park is a United States National Historical Park commemorating the Klondike Gold Rush of the late 1890s. The gold rush was in the Yukon Territory, and this park comprises staging areas for the trek there, and routes leading in its direction...
and the Chilkoot Trail it protects. It's also the recipient of rafting tours based out of Skagway and has an anadromous
Fish migration
Many types of fish migrate on a regular basis, on time scales ranging from daily to annually or longer, and over distances ranging from a few metres to thousands of kilometres...
fish population that is popular with fishermen. It has a watershed council, the Taiya Inlet Watershed Council partially dedicating to its protection and its recreational users.