Little Susitna River
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Little Susitna River | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Origin | Mint Glacier on Montana Peak in Talkeetna Mountains |
| Mouth | Coordinates: Cook Inlet of Pacific Ocean |
| Basin countries | United States of America |
| Length | 110 miles (180 km) |
| Source elevation | 1,700 ft (518 m) |
| Mouth elevation | 0 ft (0 m) |
| Avg. discharge | 206 cubic feet (5.8 m³) per second at mouth |
| Basin area | 61.9 square miles (160 km²) |
Contents |
[edit] History
Local name published in 1898 by USC&GS.
[edit] Description
Little Susitna River heads at Mint Glacier on Montana Peak, in Talkeetna Mountains at , flows SW to Cook Inlet, 13 miles (21 km) W of Anchorage, Alaska Cook Inlet Low. [1]
[edit] Location
(1334) Little Susitna River, 9 miles (14 km) West of Point MacKenzie, is said to be navigable for landing craft and skiffs at high water for about 8 miles (13 km). [2]
(1335) Caution: the depths offshore and in the approach to Little Susitna River are subject to drastic and continual change. [2]
The Little Susitna River is a river in Alaska. It originates in Hatcher Pass, at 1,700 ft (518 m), in the Talkeetna Mountains which form the northern boundary of the Matanuska-Susitna Valley. It flows a few dozen miles to the Cook Inlet. It contains a variety of hydrology ranging from flat water near the inlet to class 5 water in Hatcher Pass. It is bridged by Fishook Road in Hatcher Pass, Edgerton Parks Road, Welch Road, George Parks Highway, and Schrock Road. It flooded in 1972 and again in August 2006, causing minor damage to homes and infrastructure. Popular activities along the river include camping, fishing, wildlife viewing and photography, and hunting.
[edit] Access
The river begins in Hatcher Pass, a state recreation area that was origonaly opened by hard rock mining. This area still has active gold mines and is also open for recreational mining. Much of the land between Hatcher Pass and the George Parks Highway bridge is privately owned, while most of the land below the George Parks Highway Bridge is owned by the state. The George Parks Highway crosses the river at RM 69.5 and parallels the river for about a mile. 42 river miles down stream there is the Little Susitna Public Use Facility, which offers camping and boating access approximately 26 miles (42 km) south of Wasilla. This campground/boat launch lies within the Susitna Flats State Game Refuge on the pristine Little Susitna River.
[edit] Fishing
The Alaska Department of Fish and Game operates a weir to count Coho salmon and Silver salmon in river. The Little Susitna River weir is located about one-half mile upstream of the George Parks Highway bridge. Salmon fishing is closed upstream of the George Parks Highway, so the weir counts indicate the number of fish getting past the sport fishery. The Little Susitna River provides a multitude of sport angling opportunities. King salmon, Silver salmon, Chum salmon, Red salmon, and Pink salmon are available, as well as some Dolly Varden and Rainbow trout. Several other less targeted species such as Arctic grayling, burbot, round whitefish and northern pike also call the Little Susitna River home.
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- Sport Fishing. State of Alaska Department of Fish and Game.
- State of Alaska Department of Fish and Game.
- 2007 Regulations (PDF). State of Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Sport Fisheries.
- GNIS Geographic Names Information System Query. USGS.
