The river Altaelva has carved out Sautso, one of the largest canyons in Europe on its way from the High Plateau of Finnmarksvidda down to the Altafjord. It lies in the municipality of Alta in Finnmark county, Norway. During the 1970s and 80s, the river was the site of a controversy regarding the construction of a hydroelectric power plant, the Alta controversy .
The river is one of the best salmon rivers in Norway, known for its large-sized salmon. In older days, salmon up to 33 kg were recorded, and still fish up to 24 kg are caught [1]