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Ship Creek ( Dena'ina: ''Dgheyaytnu'') is an Alaskan river that flows from the Chugach Mountains into Cook Inlet. The
Port of Anchorage
The Port of Alaska (POA) is a deep-water port located in Anchorage, Alaska with 3 bulk carrier berths, two petroleum berths, and one barge berth. It is an enterprise department of the Municipality of Anchorage. The name was changed from "Port of ...
at the mouth of Ship Creek gave its name ("Knik Anchorage") to the city of Anchorage
Anchorage () is the largest city in the U.S. state of Alaska by population. With a population of 291,247 in 2020, it contains nearly 40% of the state's population. The Anchorage metropolitan area, which includes Anchorage and the neighboring Ma ...
that grew up nearby.
The river lies entirely within the limits of the Municipality of Anchorage, Alaska. Most of its upper length traverses Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson.
History
The Dena'ina language name for the creek is Dgheyaytnu. In early 1915, a tent city formed at the mouth of Ship Creek for workers involved in the construction of theAlaska Railroad
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., ...
. This disorganized community was soon relocated south to the bluffs along the creek, forming what would become the early town of Anchorage
Anchorage () is the largest city in the U.S. state of Alaska by population. With a population of 291,247 in 2020, it contains nearly 40% of the state's population. The Anchorage metropolitan area, which includes Anchorage and the neighboring Ma ...
. In July 1923, President Warren G. Harding arrived at the Ship Creek rail station during his tour of the state to celebrate the completion of the Alaska Railroad
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., ...
and deliver several speeches in Anchorage.
Recreation
Ship Creek is a popular area for sport fishing and is considered the only urban king salmon fishery in the world. It has an annual run of Coho and Chinook salmon and regularly hosts a salmon derby.Watershed and Hydrology
Ship Creek's headwaters begin high in the Chugach Mountains at Ship Lake. After a swift descent over mountain bedrock, the creek flows along a slopingglacial outwash plain
An outwash plain, also called a sandur (plural: ''sandurs''), sandr or sandar, is a plain formed of glaciofluvial deposits due to meltwater outwash at the terminus of a glacier. As it flows, the glacier grinds the underlying rock surface and ca ...
composed of relatively permeable coarse-grained alluvial deposits as it approaches Knik Arm
Knik Arm ( Dena'ina: ''Nuti'') is a waterway into the northwestern part of the Gulf of Alaska. It is one of two narrow branches of Cook Inlet, the other being Turnagain Arm. Knik Glacier empties into the Knik Arm. The Port of Anchorage is loc ...
. It has a drainage area of over , much of which lies within the Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson military reservation in the Chugach Mountains.
The streamflow of Ship Creek has been measured by the USGS since 1946. The mean flow between 1946 and 2020 was , with the lowest daily flow recorded in 1971 at and the highest in 1960 at .
Water temperatures range from throughout the winter (Dec-Mar) to as high as in July.
See also
*Chester Creek (Alaska)
Chester Creek is one of several streams that flow through the city of Anchorage, Alaska. It runs for from the Chugach Mountains to the Knik Arm of Cook Inlet.
The creek connects a number of parks, open spaces, and lakes to form a green corridor ...
* Campbell Creek (Alaska)
* List of Alaska rivers
References
Rivers of Anchorage, Alaska Rivers of Alaska {{Alaska-river-stub