The Ipnavik River is a tributary of the Colville River in the

Alaska North Slope The Alaska North Slope ( Iñupiaq: ''Siḷaliñiq'') is the region of the U.S. state of Alaska located on the northern slope of the Brooks Range along the coast of two marginal seas of the Arctic Ocean, the Chukchi Sea being on the western sid ...

which was part of the traditional lands of the

Iñupiat The Iñupiat (or Inupiat, Iñupiaq or Inupiaq;) are a group of Alaska Natives, whose traditional territory roughly spans northeast from Norton Sound on the Bering Sea to the northernmost part of the Canada–United States border. Their current ...

, who named it "Ipnavak" which means "place where young Dall sheep grow up" with its headwaters in the

Brooks Range The Brooks Range ( Gwich'in: ''Gwazhał'') is a mountain range in far northern North America stretching some from west to east across northern Alaska into Canada's Yukon Territory. Reaching a peak elevation of on Mount Isto, the range is believ ...

. The Ipnavik River flows northeast to meet the Colville River . It flows north northeast of Howard Pass, which is the mouth of the Ipnavik. The name was documented by the

United States Geological Survey The United States Geological Survey (USGS), formerly simply known as the Geological Survey, is a scientific agency of the United States government. The scientists of the USGS study the landscape of the United States, its natural resources, ...

in 1925.

Etymology

The Iñupiat name, Ipnavik means "place where young Dall sheep grow up. Ancient Inupiat hunting structures with arrowhead fragments and piles of caribou bones can still be found on a ridge between Surprise Creek and Kokolik River, near the northernmost point of their route. name of the river was first documented in 1925 by Gerald Fitzgerald of the United States Geological Survey as "Ipnavak" and means in the native language of Alaska as "place where young Dall sheep grow up".Dictionary of Alaska Place Names. Donald J. Orth.
/ref> The most remote spot in the United States, which is defined by the team as that place farthest from roads and towns" is located "along the Ipnavik River, from the villages of Ambler and Atqasuk, and about northeast of Fairbanks."Long-distance trek Sun., Aug. 6, 2006 Mary Pemberton Associated Press
/ref>

Physical description

The Ipnavik River is a long tributary of the Colville River in the

. Its headwaters are in the Brooks Range. The "Ipnavik River flows northeast to the Colville River, north northeast of Howard Pass, in the North Slope". "The Ipnavik River (Fig. 29) heads in the Brooks Range and flows northeast to the Colville River at lat. 68'54'~, long. 156O27'W. It has a drainage area of and an estimated average annual flow of 6.9 m3/sec (245 cfs). The upper Ipnavik is swift and confined to a single channel. The lower river is braided an3 has short, narrow bars. Aquatic vegetation is sparse. The Ipnavik flows clear throughout most of the summer. Water chemistry dsta were: hardness 34 ppm, pH 7, and water temperature ."

History

The Iñupiat are the indigenous people of the Ipnavik River area. Their ancient hunting structures including arrowhead fragments and "piles of caribou bones" can still be found on the land, for example "on a ridge between Surprise Creek and Kokolik River." In 2012 Congress was considering designating either all or part of the Ipnavik River for inclusion in the

National Wild and Scenic Rivers System The National Wild and Scenic Rivers System was created by the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968 (Public Law 90-542), enacted by the U.S. Congress to preserve certain rivers with outstanding natural, cultural, and recreational values in a free- ...

along with the a section of the Colville River, and the

Awuna River The Awuna River also called Sakvailak by the Iñupiat is a tributary of the Colville River (Alaska), Colville River in the U.S. state of Alaska. Located entirely within the National Petroleum Reserve–Alaska, National Petroleum Reserve, it aris ...

, Etivluk River, Nigu River, Kuna River, Kiligwa River, Nuka River, and Utukok rivers as well as Driftwood and Carbon creeks.DEIS
/ref>

Fish

The fish with the widest distribution in the Ipnavik River is the

Arctic grayling The Arctic grayling (''Thymallus arcticus'') is a species of freshwater fish in the salmon family Salmonidae. ''T. arcticus'' is widespread throughout the Arctic and Pacific drainages in Canada, Alaska, and Siberia, as well as the upper Misso ...

''Thymallus arcticus'', or ''Sulukpaugaq'' in the Iñupiat language. It is a "key subsistence species" for the

people of the

, and it is "one of the most important species" for

Sport fishing Recreational fishing, also called sport fishing or game fishing, is fishing for leisure, exercise or competition. It can be contrasted with commercial fishing, which is professional fishing for profit; or subsistence fishing, which is fishing ...

in Alaska.

References

{{authority control Rivers of Northwest Arctic Borough, Alaska Rivers of North Slope Borough, Alaska Rivers of Alaska