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Nizina River is the largest tributary of the
Nizina River is the largest tributary of the Chitina River
The Chitina River ( Ahtna Athabascan Tsedi Na’ < ''tsedi'' "" + ''na’'' " in the
U.S. state
In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sover ...
of Alaska
Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U.S., ...
. It is located in the Wrangell–St. Elias National Park and Preserve
Wrangell–St. Elias National Park and Preserve is an American national park and preserve managed by the National Park Service in south central Alaska. The park and preserve were established in 1980 by the Alaska National Interest Lands Conser ...
.
Geography
The stream heads in Nizina Glacier, flows southward about to a point near the mouth of Dan Creek, where it takes an easterly course, which it follows for about to its junction with the Chitina. It drains an area of and is nearly as large as the Chitina at their junction. For the first of its course, it flows over a gravel flood plain from wide, bordered by steep-sloped mountains in height. At low water, it follows one or more constantly shifting channels. At medium stage, the number of channels increases, and finally at flood height, the entire flood plain becomes covered from bank to bank with swift-flowing, muddy water carrying large quantities of sand and gravel. Below Young Creek the bordering mountains are separated by a wider valley in which the river has cut a deep trench through the gravel and shale formations. Finally, for the last of its course, the river flows between walls of solid rock, forming a box canyon for much of the distance. The river has an average grade of about per mile.Tributaries
Chitistone River rises in Russell Glacier near Skolai Pass, about northeast from its confluence with the Nizina. Its course lies in a narrow valley with steep-sloped mountains high on either side. Dan and Chititu creeks are small streams that enter the Nizina from the southeast about and , respectively, below Chitistone River. They flow past important gold placer claims. The basin of Dan Creek comprises and that of Chititu Creek .Young Creek
Young Creek is an east tributary of Nizina River in the U.S. state of Alaska. The stream, which serves as the main drainage on the north side of MacColl Ridge, flows through the Wrangell–St. Elias National Park and Preserve.
Geography
The stre ...
, which enters the Nizina about below Chititu Creek, is about long and drains an area of . Its lower course parallels that of Chititu Creek, about which its headwaters turn, interlocking with those of Dan Creek. Neither Dan, Chititu, nor Young creek receives much, if any, glacial water. They carry large quantities of silt from the shale formation in which they have cut their channels, besides much gravel and sand from the overlying formation.
Kennicott River carries the flow from Kennicott Glacier to the Nizina River, a distance of about . It is subject to extreme floods, usually one or more each year, which are caused by the clogging of the subglacial channels that open up with an immense flow after enough water has accumulated to produce sufficient pressure to force out the obstruction. The flood discharge sometimes lasts several days.
McCarthy Creek rises in small glaciers on the south slope of the Wrangell Mountains
The Wrangell Mountains are a high mountain range of eastern Alaska in the United States. Much of the range is included in Wrangell-Saint Elias National Park and Preserve. The Wrangell Mountains are almost entirely volcanic in origin, and they i ...
and for about flows southward, paralleling Kennicott Glacier
Kennicott Glacier is a glacier in the U.S. state of Alaska. It trends southeast from Mount Blackburn to its terminus at the head of the Kennicott River in the Wrangell Mountains. It is located in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park near the smal ...
, which lies to the west. The dividing ridge is a southern spur from the Wrangell Mountains and ranges from in height. McCarthy Creek then gradually bends toward the west, and for the last flows about northwest. Its total length is about , and it enters Kennicott River at the town of McCarthy. The basin comprises . The principal tributaries are from the east and are the East Fork and Nikolai Creek, which enter about and , respectively, below the head. Below the East Fork the stream flows between high gravel banks, meeting here and there ledges of shale and porphyry through which it has cut its way, forming small canyons. About from its mouth, as it enters the valley of the Kennicott, the flood plain broadens and averages nearly in width. McCarthy Creek has a rather uniform grade of about per mile.
History
Placers were discovered in 1902. The Nizina placer district embraces in a general sense the drainage areas of Dan, Chititu, and Young creeks, which flow into Nizina River from the east and south.See also
*List of rivers of Alaska
This is a List of rivers in Alaska, which are at least fifth-order according to the Strahler method of stream classification, and an incomplete list of otherwise-notable rivers and streams. Alaska has more than 12,000 rivers, and thousands more st ...
References
* * {{Authority control Rivers of Alaska Rivers of Copper River Census Area, Alaska Rivers of Unorganized Borough, Alaska