The Swanson River (
Dena'ina: ''Yaghetnu'') is a stream, long, on the
Kenai Peninsula
The Kenai Peninsula ( Dena'ina: ''Yaghenen'') is a large peninsula jutting from the coast of Southcentral Alaska. The name Kenai (, ) is derived from the word "Kenaitze" or "Kenaitze Indian Tribe", the name of the Native Athabascan Alaskan trib ...
of south-central
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., ...
in the United States.
Beginning at Gene Lake in the Swanson Lakes district, it flows southwest then north to
Number Three Bay on the
Gompertz Channel of
Cook Inlet
Cook Inlet ( tfn, Tikahtnu; Sugpiaq: ''Cungaaciq'') stretches from the Gulf of Alaska to Anchorage in south-central Alaska. Cook Inlet branches into the Knik Arm and Turnagain Arm at its northern end, almost surrounding Anchorage. On its sou ...
.
The majority of the river's course lies within the
Kenai National Wildlife Refuge
The Kenai National Wildlife Refuge is a wildlife habitat preserve located on the Kenai Peninsula of Alaska, United States. It is adjacent to Kenai Fjords National Park. This refuge was created in 1941 as the Kenai National Moose Range, but in 198 ...
. In its lower reaches, it passes through the Swanson River Oil Field east of
Nikiski
Nikiski is a census-designated place (CDP) in Kenai Peninsula Borough, Alaska, United States. The population was 4,456 at the 2020 census, down from 4,493 in 2010.
Geography
Nikiski is located at (60.707891, -151.262646) on the west side of the ...
before turning sharply north. Near its
mouth
In animal anatomy, the mouth, also known as the oral cavity, or in Latin cavum oris, is the opening through which many animals take in food and issue vocal sounds. It is also the cavity lying at the upper end of the alimentary canal, bounded on ...
, it flows through
Captain Cook State Recreation Area
Captain Cook State Recreation Area is a park on the Kenai Peninsula in Alaska. It is located on the shores of Cook Inlet at the northern terminus of the Kenai Spur Highway, about north of Kenai and north of Nikiski. Both the Inlet and the recrea ...
and under
Kenai North Road
The Kenai Spur Highway is a highway on the Kenai Peninsula in Alaska. The road begins at a junction with the Sterling Highway in Soldotna and provides access to the towns of Kenai, Alaska, Kenai and Nikiski, dead-ending at the entrance to the ...
to enter Cook Inlet.
Recreation
Swanson River and the many lakes around it are popular places for trips in light canoes and kayaks. Two canoe trails involve lakes and streams rated Class I (easy) on the
International Scale of River Difficulty. The Swan Lake Route of includes 30 lakes with
portage
Portage or portaging (Canada: ; ) is the practice of carrying water craft or cargo over land, either around an obstacle in a river, or between two bodies of water. A path where items are regularly carried between bodies of water is also called a ...
s of up to . The Swanson River Route, long, crosses 40 lakes and requires portages of up to a mile. The portages, which may cross swampy ground, vary from easy to difficult. In addition to boggy terrain, hazards include wind-driven waves, mosquitoes, and a dearth of good campsites.
It is possible to float the Swanson River itself from the outlet at Gene Lake to the North Kenai Road bridge. A shorter float goes by river from Gene Lake to Swanson River Landing near Swan Lake Road and the Rainbow Lake Campground.
The Swanson system of lakes and streams supports large populations of
game fish
Game fish, sport fish or quarry refer to popular fish pursued by recreational anglers, and can be freshwater or saltwater fish. Game fish can be eaten after being caught, or released after capture. Some game fish are also targeted commerciall ...
. The main species are
silver salmon
The coho salmon (''Oncorhynchus kisutch;'' Karuk: achvuun) is a species of anadromous fish in the salmon family and one of the five Pacific salmon species. Coho salmon are also known as silver salmon or "silvers". The scientific species name i ...
,
rainbow trout
The rainbow trout (''Oncorhynchus mykiss'') is a species of trout native to cold-water tributaries of the Pacific Ocean in Asia and North America. The steelhead (sometimes called "steelhead trout") is an anadromous (sea-run) form of the coasta ...
, and Arctic char and Dolly Varden.
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
External links
Captain Cook State Recreation Area– Alaska Department of Natural Resources
– U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
{{authority control
Rivers of Kenai Peninsula Borough, Alaska
Rivers of the Kenai Peninsula
Rivers of Alaska